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WELCOME TO
THE HOBART MAGAZINE
Welcome to August! We’re at that point in the year where winter may have overstayed its welcome and we yearn for warmer days. This month we’ve partnered with the University of Tasmania to create a special insert about sustainability in action - our fascinating cover person Trisha Striker is an example of how this comes into play in real life.
In addition to sharing lots of community news and events, we interview rower Al Viney as she gears up for the Paralympics in Paris this month, dive into
some cool Antarctic history, and preview an upcoming poo art competition (yes, you heard that correctly). Plus, there’s a whole lot more to keep you entertained and informed.
We love hearing from you, so don’t be shy. Drop us a line at editor@thehobartmagazine. com.au or tag us on social media while you’re out and about.
All the best,
Steph, James and The Hobart Magazine team
Publisher Stephanie Williams editor@thehobartmagazine.com.au
This page: Catriona Thomson, taken on the slopes at Ben Lomond
Publisher Information: While all care has been taken, some information may have changed since publication. The Hobart Magazine regrets it can’t accept liabilities from errors or omissions contained in this magazine. The publisher reserves the right to refuse, withdraw or amend all advertisements without explanation. Reproduction in whole or part without permission is prohibited. The views expressed in articles and advertisements are not endorsed by the editor or publishers. We welcome any questions, feedback or submissions, email editor@thehobartmagazine. com.au, or drop us a line at PO Box 315, South Hobart, TAS, 7004. The editorial partnership with University of Tasmania in this edition is undertaken on a commercial basis.
The Hobart Magazine acknowledges the Tasmanian Aboriginal People as the Traditional Owners and ongoing custodians of lutruwita/Tasmania. We pay our respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to their Elders past, present and emerging. www.thehobartmagazine.com.au
SHAWN ARNOLD
Hailing from Lilydale in the state’s north, Shawn Arnold is the frontman of band Teens - who just released their debut album, after being active in the local music scene for over a decade.
Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I grew up in Lilydale and funnily enough I’m back living here. Growing up here was great, a lot of people I’m still friends with today I met here. I used to help a guy named Barney Bennet do some hay carting sometimes, he taught me a lot about music, introduced me to some cool bands and he’s a killer guitarist. After work we would have a jam in his shed and it was the best, we tracked a few jams to a cassette recorder. Great memories!
Tell us about your band. Teens is a band I started over a decade ago now. It’s taken many different forms since then but it started as an outlet for the songs I was writing by myself. I would record these songs on my own. Eventually I asked a couple friends if they wanted to play these songs with me and they did - we started doing small shows in Launceston and the occasional one in Hobart. Thinking back the band was super green and there were some train wreck shows but we still had fun. As some members left, other friends would join to help out with the live shows. I’d like to think we got a lot better. Fast forward a bunch of years, Teens’ sound became a lot heavier, faster sounding and it became a more collaborative experience which I find a lot more fulfilling.
How does it feel to finally release your first album? It feels great and the response has been really positive. I never thought it would all come together, if it wasn’t for band mates Alex Davern, Jono Tate and Jack Storay. So I really owe a lot to those guys. They gave me motivation to get things rolling.
Is it true you recorded most of the album in a single day? It’s true. We had
to get all Jack’s parts recorded because he was leaving for Melbourne. It was important for us to do that. Shout outs to Joss Thomas who recorded us at his studio in Paradise, love ya man.
The band has been plagued with injuries and obstacles. Can you elaborate on that? I feel like we were getting to a place where we were thinking about recording and then I tore a bunch of tendons in my right shoulder mountain bike riding. It put a total stop on everything. We didn’t play for a long time. Accidents kept happening and the band wasn’t really doing anything.
It has been a long road. Something would happen every time it felt like we were in a good place to record. Band members coming and going, not because of any bad blood. Just life happens and people want change. The Brisbane Hotel closed down. It was a significant hub for musicians and artists. I loved that place. I saw so many amazing bands there and made so many friends there. It was a huge loss to the Hobart/Tasmanian music community and I honestly don’t think it has actually recovered.
Who do you admire? My dog Bonnie.
Favourite podcast? What a Great Punk by These New South Whales.
Secret vice? Spicy margarita, it’s no secret though.
What was your first job? Stacking shelves at an IGA.
What are your daily news/social media habits? ABC, Instagram, FB Marketplace, Reverb. I’m a fiend for music gear.
Your favourite place for… Breakfast: Room for a Pony. Lunch: Pub, any pub.
Dinner: Pizza from Ti Ama or Local Pizza.
Dream holiday destination? Austin, Texas.
Favourite Tasmanian secret? Paradise.
Parting words? You can listen to us on Bandcamp, where you can buy our vinyl! We’re on all those streaming platforms. Big thanks to anyone who’s bought the album so far or came along to a show. It means a lot to us.
Track Teens’ upcoming live shows via their Facebook page at www.facebook. com/Teensbandtas.
One of the world’s great walks
We invite you to see Maria Island in a breathtaking new way, with an all inclusive experience hosted by knowledgeable guides, exploring Maria Island’s history, wildlife and beauty over three days with daily walks. Relax each night in the comfort of the historical and restored Bernacchi House on the island, enjoying delicious chef curated meals using locally sourced Tasmanian produce.
This experience is perfect for small, intimate groups and is discounted for locals to $1300 per person for a limited time only, using the code TASLOCAL when booking
and
NICOLA MASON
Meet the head designer and co-founder of Smitten Merino, Nicola Mason, who started the sustainable fashion business with her husband Carl.
Where did you grow up and where do you live now? I was born in Wimbledon, London, grew up in Perth, WA and moved to Tassie 24 years ago. I now live in Hobart.
Tell us a bit about your work. As a designer and business owner, my days involve a lot of strategising/debating with Carl, being creative and constantly editing our clothing range, designing new and versatile Smitten styles, coordinating colour palettes, planning photo shoots, ordering a lot of things (fabric, elastic, mailbags, buttons, paper, you name it, I order it!), trying to predict the future of fashion, and helping manage our online store and boutique, and our marvellous Smitten team.
What is Smitten’s approach to sustainability, and why is it important to you?
Sustainability was one of the reasons we created Smitten - we wanted to build a business with a small carbon footprint that supported our local community. Our dream was to create a unique Tasmanian product utilising local resources. We’d always worn and loved natural fibres as we liked the breathability, comfort and ease of care. We especially loved merino wool because it was a sustainable, renewable fibre, and wanted to support local merino wool-growers. We then happily realised the best merino wool in the world was actually being grown right here in Tasmania. It was also very important to have our merino clothing manufactured in Tasmania, not offshore, as that helped minimise our carbon footprint enormously. Plus the energy required to run the factory in Tasmania is all powered by hydro energy which is renewable energy, so that’s also a big win. We also like to be a plastic-free business, and post all
orders in compostable mailers. Our other sustainable initiatives include being zero waste, trying to use up all our offcuts as beanies and neckwarmers and patchwork cami tops. And the newest one is recycling/upcycling pre-loved Smitten items, customers can send them back to be sold again, and get Smitten credit - everybody is happy and the clothing keeps being circulated.
What is it like working as a family unit? Ha ha ha...mostly good, but can definitely be feisty! Can I just say, no family dinner is ever Smitten free. We are a very close family unit and there is very little personal space sometimes, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Holly and Carl are two of my most favourite people in the world, as are my other two children Brooke and River, who both live up on the Big Island at the moment but are still an important part of the Smitten family.
What is your favourite design? Probably my pleated wide leg suit pants and matching waistcoat, and the Florence dress.
How did your cancer journey impact your outlook on life? Having breast cancer in 2015 quickly reminded me that life is short and not to sweat the small stuff, and also to use the new towels NOW that are folded in the cupboard waiting for the new bathroom. Don’t save anything for best, this is it!
Who do you admire? Ronni Kahn, Founder of OzHarvest, and Julia Gillard.
Favourite podcast or tv show? I do love Bridgerton, Grand Designs, reruns of Seinfeld, and Diary Of A CEO.
Secret vice? Knitting, eating anything that is salted caramel, and watching some GRWM Instagram.
What are you reading now? How We Love by Clementine Ford. I just finished Back Roads by Tawni O’Dell - wow that was an amazing, confronting novel.
Do you have any pets? Yes, my chocolate
labradoodle Billy Jean, she’s quite a character - she vehemently hates other dogs, definitely thinks she is just a small furry person. Apologies in advance if you meet her out walking and you have a dog.
What was your first job? Printing t-shirts with iron on initials and names at Garden City in Perth
What are your daily news/social media habits? I listen to ABC Hobart (good morning Ryk!).
Your favourite place for… Breakfast: Room for a Pony - the chilli omelette, yum!
Lunch: The Picnic Basket.
Dinner: Fish Frenzy.
Favourite team? I don’t have one, for some reason I’m thoroughly disinterested in competitive sport.
Dream holiday destination? I’d really like to go to Tahiti, and the Maldives - I do love a tropical island! Paris is also fantastic.
Favourite Tasmanian secret? Little Bay Cafe in Bicheno.
Parting words? Thanks for reading this far! I think the Dalai Lama was on track when he said, “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.”
BITS AND PIECES
NEW NEW NEW
Iconic seafood restaurant Mures (Victoria Dock, Franklin Wharf, Hobart) is celebrating 50 years. Join in the revelry with the reopening of Mures Underdeck, their fancy-pants upstairs restaurant, and the opening of their brand new venue, Kelp Bar, all in the same location. Need caffeine, but also need help fixing an old bike? Bike repair shop Pedal Bite Bicycle Garage has opened up a small cafe next door called Pedal Bite Coffee (135a Newtown Road, New Town). Two birds, one stone! A new cafe has moved into the spot where Dune/Rupert Avenue once stood. Abercrombie Coffee (431 Elizabeth Street, North Hobart) comes from some of the folks behind Audrey Coffee and promises to serve community as well as good coffee. In between your shopping in New Town Plaza, stop for a bite at Sushi Sushi (1 Risdon Road, New Town), the plaza’s newest food kiosk. We love a residency or two - this August you’re spoilt with Lilly Trewartha, Luke Burgess and Todd La Marr teaming up for Izakaya Temporary Itameshi taking over the space at Trophy Room (342 Argyle Street, North Hobart) from 8 August - 2 September. Bookings essential via www.trophyroomhobart.com. Then at Rosie in My Midnight Dreams (Brooke Street Pier, Hobart), Megan Aquill and Chloe Proud, who combine as VALI, will hold the fort from 9 - 29 August, from
8am - 5pm. If their Farmgate Market stall is anything to go by, this will be delicious, and a rumoured precursor to a new venue for them. Sweetbrew Coffee House (88 Cimitiere Street, Launceston) has moved to the brand new St.Lukes timber highrise, their fifth iteration in 11 years. Join them for a friendly atmosphere and great coffee. The north-east gets a brand new grocer and cafe in the form of The House Paddock (42 King Street, Scottsdale). Boasting quality produce from local farmers and coffee roasted in Launceston, this is sure to become a delicious new hub for locals. Hope you’re as keen for winter skiing as we are. Consider visiting Arc’teryx (Cat & Fiddle Arcade, Shop 8 & 9, Hobart), a high-end outdoor equipment store packed with the newest in climbing and winter sport technologies. The two Jackson Volkswagen stores in southern Tasmania have become one, making Jackson Volkswagen Hobart (152/170 Campbell Street, Hobart) the one-stop shop for all their commercial and passenger vehicles, now under one roof. Gather the kids and head to the new playground at Cris Fitzpatrick Park (35 Tottenham Road, Gagebrook), for a fun day out. Get your clothing altered or repaired at Fitted Launceston (5260 Brisbane Street, Launceston), open Tuesday - Thursday, with Fridays open biweekly.
BEACHED BURNIE BEAST
A mysterious beast from the ocean depths washed ashore on the Burnie waterfront recently, confounding locals. The creature was said to be between one and two metres long and skinny like an eel. Instead of scales or slippery skin, it seemed to be made of a metallic material, and had an odd rectangular head with an EasyPark sticker on it. After exhaustive scientific investigation, it was discovered that the unidentified beast was not in fact an animal, but a parking meter, three months after it was removed from a local street. Phew! The only question that remains is, how did it get there?
AMBULANCE TASMANIA TEAMS UP WITH APP FOR FASTER CARDIAC ARREST RESPONSE
Ambulance Tasmania has partnered with GoodSAM (Smartphone Activated Medic), a global emergency service smartphone app to improve response times during cardiac arrest incidents. The app connects community responders with patients in the critical moments before ambulance arrival. Every minute without CPR and/or defibrillation reduces a patient’s survival chances by 10%, which is why this is so important. GoodSAM operates by maintaining a registry of trained responders who receive alerts on their mobile phones when a cardiac arrest occurs nearby. Using location services, the app identifies and notifies nearby responders, providing them with the patient’s location and the nearest Automated External Defibrillator (AED). Learn more about the initiative at www.health.tas.gov. au/goodSAM.
HOBART CCTV NETWORK NOW COMPLETE
A CCTV network comprising 83 fixed and two semi-permanent security cameras has recently been completed. They are strategically scattered around Salamanca, all the way up Elizabeth Street to North Hobart, with the aim of deterring criminal activity and anti-social behaviour in those areas. They also are intended to be used for gathering city planning data.
BITS AND PIECES
UPGRADE FOR LAUNNIE’S ROYAL PARK SKATE PARK ON THE WAY
Concept designs for the long-awaited update to Launceston’s Royal Park Skate Park are one step closer to being locked in after workshops were facilitated in July. Originally built in the 1990s and last upgraded in 2008, the popular park is due for some love. Recently the City of Launceston sought community input on the design of the park upgrade via a survey, which is now closed. Keep your eyes peeled on the Council’s social media pages for further updates.
HOPE AND ANCHOR PUB IN ARCHAEOLOGICAL DIG
An archaeological excavation has begun at the site of the Hope and Anchor Hotel on Macquarie Street. The hotel was first established c.1807 as the Whale Fishery, a public house and one of the first permanent structures in town. Originally located on the western bank of the Hobart Rivulet above the shores of the Derwent Estuary, the landscape around the pub has changed considerably over the last 200 years, with the city developing around it. Archaeological investigation of this site has not long begun but they are already developing an understanding of the people using the public house, hotel and shops, and how they interacted with the surrounding landscape. To hear more head
to the State Library of Tasmania for a National Family History Month event with Dr Jennifer Jones-Travers, archaeologist, on 28 August From 1-2pm.
MAJOR MENTAL HEALTH ORGS TO CHALLENGE SOCIAL MEDIA
Mental health organisations ReachOut, Beyond Blue and Black Dog Institute are calling for ways to help improve the safety of social media platforms for young people. In a submission to The Joint Select Committee on Social Media and Australian Society, the three organisations set out a range of recommendations. Some of these include policies that compel social media platforms to work according to safety-by-design principles, transparency and user-control when it comes to algorithms, and funding for more research into the links between social media and mental health. Research so far has found that using social media mostly to scroll or passively view other people’s content was linked to higher levels of depression and anxiety. “The social media companies need to step up and play their part because people are telling us quite clearly they don’t like getting caught up doomscrolling and they want a say in what content is served up to them. So our question is ‘what are social media platforms going to do to address this?’” Beyond Blue CEO Georgie Harman said.
THUMBS UP
The phrase “righty tighty, lefty loosey”, perfect communication, no notes.
To all the Tasmanians who competed in the Olympics and those set to soar in the upcoming Paralympics.
Restaurant residencies.
Cherry Ripes.
THUMBS DOWN
Your favourite show getting cancelled on a cliffhanger.
Beware of black ice on Tassie roads in the early mornings.
Your umbrella popping inside out in the strong winds.
When your kid calls you ‘bruh’ instead of mum.
Monday - Friday 3:30pm - 5:30pm $5
SCHOONERS
MEALS 7 DAYS A WEEK WITH ALL DAY DINING 11:30am - 8:30pm
STARTING FROM $14
MONDAY LUNCHES
12PM - 2PM Rissoles & mash, Reuben sandwich with chips, crumbed sausages with mash $10
19 crazy parmigianas to choose from traditional chicken parmigiana right through to The Elvis Presley with peanut butter, bacon and cheese or Jon Bon Chovy with napoli sauce base, anchovies, prawns, cherry tomatoes and cheese or The Anthony Bolog-neezy with rich beef bolognese, basil, parmesan and melted cheese all on top of your choice of beef or chicken base.
T-BONE TUESDAYS
250g tbone steak served with chips and salad or vegetables and your choice of sauce
Free onsite parking Hotel rooms starting from $90 a night
Eight minutes from the airport, 10 minutes from the cbd
BITS AND PIECES
(FAKE) PICASSO IN LADIES LOOS
Mona curator Kirsha Kaechele recently moved three valuable Picasso paintings to the Mona ladies toilet, to be viewed only by those who identify as women. This comes after a man was refused entry to the women-only Ladies Lounge and lodged a complaint with the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (TASCAT). It was upheld, ordering Mona to open up its Ladies Lounge to everyone. Mona responded by closing the Ladies Lounge temporarily and lodged an appeal in defence of it, and placed the paintings in a women’s toilet in the meantime. But there’s a twist. A few weeks after this announcement, Kaechele revealed in a blog post that these paintings are in fact fakes - painted by herself! The paintings have been hanging in Mona for over three years and miraculously hadn’t been called out as fakes - at least not publicly. Kaechele explained she painted them to fit the colour scheme of the Ladies Lounge, and because Picasso made sense to feature exclusively for women, an artist as revered for his talent as he was infamously misogynistic. She said she expected someone to uncover the truth behind the paintings a long time ago, and is only revealing it now after queries from a journalist and the Picasso Administration in France. The Picasso estate confirmed they will not be taking any action against MONA and Kaechele. Her announcement came paired with a stylish and humorous photo shoot of herself posing with the fake Picassos. The performance continues...
DEMANDS FOR STRONGER LEGISLATION REGARDING IMAGES OF CHILDREN ONLINE
TheAlannah & Madeline Foundation is calling for stronger legislation and regulation to protect children from exploitation online. This comes after findings from Human Rights Watch that reveal personal photographs ofAustralian children have been taken from the internet and used to trainAI tools without the knowledge or consent of the children or their parents. The risks associated with using children’s images to trainAI models are significant. Malicious individuals could potentially use these models to create deceptive, offensive, or abusive images. TheAlannah & Madeline Foundation is calling for a Children’s Online Privacy Code, with recommendations including reforming the PrivacyAct and introducing new safety standards to ensure a safe environment for Australian children when they’re online.
MORE THAN 1,300 REMAINS UNCOVERED AT HUTCHINS
Over 1,300 human remains have been uncovered during excavation work at Hutchins School, with potentially hundreds more to come. The Sandy Bay school was built on the site of the old Queenborough Cemetery. In March, two bodies were discovered during preliminary stages of planned development of a new school building. The remains are being reinterred at the Cornelian Bay Cemetery.
VIEW YOUR LIBRARY HISTORY
Like to keep track of the things you’ve read? Libraries Tasmania hears you, and have unveiled a new feature which allows members to view their borrowing history via their account on the Libraries website. This update applies to all items borrowed from the library from 1 July this year. The history is viewable only by the user, not even library staff can access it unless the user is a Home Library client.
NEW TASSIE MUSIC ON THE WAY
A growing number of Tassie musicians are planting their flag down with debut releases this year. After our interview in this edition with the frontman of Teens, Shawn Arnald, we’ll shout out a couple more for you to listen to. Singer-songwriter Bully Hay (@bullyhay), based in southern Tasmania, has launched his single titled Wash Off The World. The track sets the stage for Hay’s upcoming debut album, Black Dogs and Songbirds, slated for release on 30 October. Influences include Paul Kelly, Powderfinger, and The Tea Party. Another newcomer is Herbe (@iamherbe). This Melbourne-based, Hobart-raised young artist will release his debut single Soft Boy on 15 August. The song is a satirical exploration of manhood and evokes the poppy sounds of Lily Allen and Mika.
BITS AND PIECES
TASSIE STUDENTS RELEASE VIDEO GAME ON PS5
Tasmania’s video game development scene is small, but there are signs of growth. This is highlighted by the release of the game Party Poppers on the Playstation 5 (PS5), which was developed in collaboration with UTAS students to support new Tassie talent. Originally released a few years ago on PC, UTAS students gained skills in game porting, which is the process of converting a video game so that a version suitable for one platform (such as PC) becomes suitable for another, in this case the PS5. The game comes from Tasmanian developer Giant Margarita, known for their multiplayer party games, of which this is no different. They expect to release a Nintendo Switch port later this year.
Continuing the gaming news, Hobart is set to exhibit the best in the state’s burgeoning video gaming industry with a new showcase event. The Level Up Tasmania Video Game Showcase was announced at the launch of the Party Poppers game. Presented by Screen Tasmania, the three-day event will take place 27-29 September at PW1.
HOMELY RETREATS SAYS FAREWELL TO FOUNDER
After five years of leadership, Homely Retreats bids a farewell to founder Jay Chipman as she steps down from her management role. Homely Retreats offers solace and support to families affected by cancer across Tasmania, and Jay founded the organisation from her own battle with cancer. Jay plans to remain actively involved in fundraising efforts. Taking the reins as Chair of Homely Retreats is John
Thompson, CEO of the National Cancer Foundation. In 2024 so far, Homely Retreats has helped 75 Tasmanians with weekend respite experiences, home delivered healthy meals and financial travel assistance.
SCOTS CHURCH CELEBRATES 200 YEARS OF SERVICE
This year Hobart’s Scots-Memorial Congregation is celebrating the 200th anniversary of their first service at 29 Bathurst Street, held in Scots Kirk, now known as St Andrew’s Hall. On 8 September at 10am, they are holding a celebration service to honour the anniversary. It’s an opportunity to connect with fellow attendees over morning tea, and explore displays that showcase the building’s rich history. You can register your interest on their website at www.scotschurch.com.au/ celebration-200.
TASSIE DEMENTIA PROGRESS
Tassie scientists are one step closer to developing a test to detect dementia decades before symptoms emerge. In 2020, researchers from the University of Tasmania’s Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre developed TAS Test – a new computer screening test that picks up changes in hand movements that could indicate increased risk of dementia occurring 10 - 20 years later. Now they’ve added to that with a study - the largest of its kind - to measure finger tapping and compare it to cognitive function. If you’d like to help them with their research by taking part in the next round of TAS Tests head to www.island.mooc.utas.edu.au.
TAS FIRIES TO CANADA’S AID
15 Tasmanian firefighters have been deployed to help fight wildfires in Canada. With hundreds of fires burning out of control in Canada, a national call out for assistance with firefighting operations was given in Australia. The 15 Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service fire personnel joined a contingent of more than 200 personnel from Australia and New Zealand. Australia has an ongoing mutual fire management arrangement with Canada which
allows for the exchange of personnel, resources, and technology when required. Australian fire services have supported Canada and the United States numerous times since 2000, most recently last year, and this support has been reciprocated with Australia over several summers.
DEADLOCH SEASON 2 CONFIRMED
Hit Australian detective show Deadloch has been officially renewed for a second season. Yippee! While the first season took place in Tasmania, this new season will get far sweatier as it heads to Darwin in the Northern Territory. Kate Box and Madeleine Sami are confirmed to reprise their roles, along with Nina Oyama and Alicia Gardiner. Production on the sixpart second season will commence later this year and will be released globally on Prime Video. Will they manage to weave in a Chickenfeed reference in the second series? Hopefully the challenge will be accepted.
HADLEY’S ART PRIZE GOES TO TASSIE ARTIST
Tasmanian artist Zoe Grey has been announced as the winner of the 2024 Hadley’s Art Prize for her work The Shape of Rock. This is one of Australia’s most lucrative art awards, with the top prize worth $100,000, and is awarded to what the judges deem the most outstanding portrayal of the Australian landscape. Her painting depicts the rugged landscape of Marrawah, a coastal community on the northwest edge of Tasmania where she grew up. Zoe also won the Packing Room prize, worth $1,000. Congrats, Zoe!
BITS AND PIECES
LAUNNIE FLIGHTS SKY HIGH
Launceston Airport passenger numbers have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels, joining just a few airports across the country to bounce back. In the last financial year the airport saw 1,423,947 travellers through the gates. They’d never previously broken past the 1.4 million mark. Shane O’Hare, Launceston Airport CEO, said Tourism Tasmania’s Off Season campaign, which enticed people to visit Tassie to become winter people, was key to the higher numbers across what are usually slower months.
SCAM ALERT: BEWARE OF FAKE METRO BUS PROMOTIONS
Metro Tasmania is warning people of a fake Facebook promotion claiming to offer free public transport and GreenCards offers. They ask you not to click on any links or provide personal information to third-party sites claiming to represent Metro. One way to make sure it’s authentic to Metro is to double-check the URL is metrotas.com.au. This is a good moment to say it’s important to stay aware online and always verify a source before sharing personal information.
MORE SHARED PATHS COMING TO TASSIE STREETS
Tasmania’s community infrastructure is set to receive a $4.7 million boost from the government, through the Better Active Transport Grant. This funding will support 18 projects aimed at enhancing accessibility and safety for cyclists and
pedestrians. Projects include shared pathways in Lower Snug, East Devonport and Huntingfield, and pathway realignments in Glenorchy. For more details visit www. infrastructure.tas.gov.au.
NEW GRANT SUPPORTS ABORIGINAL PEOPLE IN TASMANIAN TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY JOBS
Business Tasmania has announced the launch of the Supporting Aboriginal People in Tourism and Hospitality Grant Program. This aims to help Aboriginal people in tourism and hospitality participate in professional development opportunities. Eligible businesses and organisations are encouraged to apply for funding of up to $3,000 per person, allowing up to four Aboriginal employees or members to partake in development activities between 1 August 2024 and 30 June 2025. Applications will be accepted until 2pm on Thursday 5 September 2024, or until funds are exhausted. For further details and to submit an application, visit the Business Tasmania website.
RSPCA TASMANIA CLOSING TWO NORTHERN LOCATIONS
RSPCA Tasmania is shuttering its Launceston and Latrobe adoption and retail care centres due to financial losses totaling $100,000 over the past year, amid a substantial increase in pet surrenders. CEO Andrea Dawkins attributed the closures to escalating costs of living, which have driven up the number of animals needing care, straining their resources. It’s
not all bad news, with RSPCA Tasmania planning to expand their Spreyton Animal Care Centre with modernised facilities.
RESTRICTIONS ON VAPES
New legislation has been enacted to tightly regulate vaping products in Australia. Non-pharmacy retailers such as vape shops, tobacconists, and convenience stores are prohibited from stocking or selling any vaping products. Therapeutic vaping goods will now only be available at pharmacy retailers. The aim here is to control the supply, distribution, and advertising of vaping goods more strictly, based on health concerns associated with their use.
INCREASE IN PEOPLE SEEKING HELP THIS WINTER IN TASSIE
St Vincent de Paul Society reports they have seen an 18% increase in Tasmanians seeking emergency relief assistance this year so far. This comes amid the current cost of living crisis. Vinnies are currently raising money for their 2024 Winter Appeal and are asking support from the community. All donations to the Winter Appeal go directly to providing emergency food hampers and food vouchers, financial assistance, funding for prescriptions for vital medication, and blankets and clothing to keep people warm during the rest of winter. “We have seen just over 3,500 Tasmanians come through our doors since January this year, compared to 2,900 at the same time last year,” Vinnies State President Corey McGrath said. Donations to the Winter Appeal can be made by calling 13 18 12 or online at www.donate.vinnies.org.au/appeals-tas/ winter-warmth-tas.
RESPECT UMPIRES OF ALL AGES
Netball Tasmania has launched an initiative to protect junior umpires by having them wear green wristbands. This is to encourage respect towards all umpires regardless of age or experience, and to reduce the amount of junior umpires withdrawing due to poor spectator, coach, and player behaviour. Hopefully this can extend to other sports!
MONGOLIA
THE LAND OF NOMADS & EAGLES
MONGOLIA is a country unlike anywhere else on our planet. For centuries the very name has evoked a sense of wonder and mystique. On this exclusive, fully escorted 20 day tour, we’ll marvel at a world that few are fortunate enough to experience. You’re invited to attend our Mongolia 2025 tour launch to meet with our Tour Designer and Escort, Cathi Burnett-Cosgrove, along with prospective fellow tour members.
The launch event is on Thursday 8th August 2024 at 6pm at a local Hobart venue.
To RSVP, simply contact our office via email or telephone by Tuesday 30th July. Attendance is complimentary and our venue will be advised upon registration.
Can’t attend? Please request your copy of our tour brochure
BITS AND PIECES
WUKALINA WALK IN TIME
Tassie’s spectacular wukalina Walk has been included in TIME Magazine’s list of the World’s Greatest Places for 2024. It’s the first time a Tasmanian place has made the list (what?!), which details the most desirable travel destinations and experiences across the globe according to TIME’s editors and correspondents. The multi-day walk, led by Aboriginal guides, takes guests across wukalina (Mt William National Park) and larapuna (Bay of Fires) and has won many awards including gold at the 2023 Qantas Australian Tourism Awards in Darwin last year.
NEW WILDLIFE HOSPITAL FOR THE NORTH WEST
Wing’s Wildlife Park, at Gunns Plains in the North West, has a new not-forprofit native wildlife hospital. The facility replaces a former one which was destroyed during floods in October 2022. It was the only facility of its kind in the region at the time.
DEVONPORT PHOTO COMP OPENS
Devonport residents who are skilled with a camera, this is for you. Devonport City Council is hosting a photo competition. The rules are simple. You must capture anything in motion within Devonport that
celebrates the dynamic essence of life in the city. First prize is a $250 voucher, while second and third place prizes are $100 vouchers. Entries close at 5pm on Sunday 25 August. To enter text images to 0437432635 or email rec@devonport. tas.gov.au.
FROM THE STREET TO THE STAGE
Street to Stage, a live-on stage event for local musicians with experience of homelessness, is back with a gig this month. Everyone is invited to come along and support the performers and enjoy the music. The event raises awareness, reduces stigma about homelessness and raises funds for Health with Dignity which enables Hobartians in extreme need to access GP appointments for free. The event is open to performers of all types, from bands to buskers, soloists, rappers, spoken word poets, stand up comedians, improv, and instrumental artists. Saturday 10 August, 2:30-5:30pm, Youth Arts & Recreation Centre, 1 Market Place, Hobart.
DAVEY STREET WORKS CONTINUE
The next stage of the Macquarie and Davey Streets Bus Improvements Project is part way to completion. Two new, larger, bus shelters will be installed, along with a
new bicycle lane on Davey Street between Sandy Bay Road and Linden Avenue. These follow the adding of an extended peak period clearway on Macquarie Street in April and are designed to ease the traffic bottleneck as commuters come on and off the Southern Outlet. To install the bicycle lane, bus stop #5 near Heathfield Avenue and selected parking spaces on Davey Street will be removed permanently. Works will mainly take place 6:30pm to 6:30am Sunday night through to Friday morning and are expected to finish half way through this month.
SALVOS LOOKING FOR VOLUNTEERS
The Salvation Army Street Team is on the hunt for new volunteers to join their crew. They’re hosting a volunteer info session on Friday 16 August at 6:30pm at their Divisional Headquarters in Derwent Park. If you’ve got a few hours to spare on Friday or Saturday nights, this could be your chance to make a real difference. The Street Team is a familiar sight in Hobart and Launceston, providing support to party-goers with everything from first aid and mental health assistance to helping people get home safely. They’re looking for folks from all walks of life - if you’re up for it, swing by the info session and see how you can get involved.
BITS AND PIECES
LIGHTING UP DEVONPORT
An immersive light and sound show From Sky to Sea has opened in Devonport, celebrating the beauty and heritage of the city. Approximately 200 lights and speakers tell the story of the Mersey River from Cradle Mountain to Bass Strait. The show is designed to be explored from multiple angles, with projections in the grass, trees, and gardens, and searchlights on the rotunda pillars, so to get the full experience visitors are encouraged to walk around. This project is the final stage of Devonport City Council’s urban renewal Living City Project, with the hope being that the show will encourage visitors to spend more time in the city. Located near the foreshore at Roundhouse Park, the 14 minute show will be on every night of the week from now on, starting at 7pm, 7:30pm, 8pm, and 8:30pm - with different times during daylight savings.
HOBART WRITER WINS NATIONAL SHORT STORY PRIZE
The results of the prestigious Furphy Literary Award, an Australia-wide short story competition were announced recently. 2024’s winner is Hobart writer Kathryn Lomer. She is a noted poet, Young Adult author, and novelist. She received $15,000 for her story Nothing About Kissing, an adult meet-cute set at Mona. Over 640 stories were received and evaluated, with the longlist consisting of 78.
LEARN ABOUT YOUR ANCESTRY
Libraries Tasmania is inviting Tasmanians to delve into their family histories this August, as part of National Family History Month. The State Library of Tasmania and Tasmanian Archives are offering an extensive lineup of events aimed at both novices and seasoned genealogists. Highlights of the month-long program include practical workshops on using Trove and the Names Index for research, and behind-the-scenes tours of the Tasmanian Archives in Geilston Bay, Hobart. For more details and to book events, visit the National Family History Month webpage at www.libraries. tas.gov.au/national-family-history-month.
FROZEN HARP
Alice Giles is not only a world-renowned harpist but is also the grand-daughter of Cecil Madigan –one of Sir Douglas Mawson’s legendary Antarctic expeditioners. She will be performing in Hobart on 23 August as part of the Australian Antarctic Festival.
Tell us a bit about your grandfather, Cecil Madigan. What was it like growing up knowing you were a descendant of an Antarctic explorer?
As a child I was always very proud and intrigued by my famous grandfather. He had died long before I was born, so the stories of his exploits had a special mystery around them. I read his chapters in the Home of the Blizzard and his books on crossing (and naming) the Simpson Desert and Central Australia while I was still in primary school. He was a figure of bravery and adventure to me.
You’ve played the harp in Antarctica. What was that experience like?
From the moment I started preparing for the trip I felt it was a special way to honour and connect with my grandfather, and it was the guide and focus for my expedition as AAE Arts Fellow. I read his diaries and started thinking about how to celebrate his Antarctic experiences with a musical expression.
The eventual performance - which unites readings from his diaries, songs and hymns he mentions there as being special to him, and music specially composed before I left - came together gradually during the voyage. One extra special moment was seeing my Mum’s emotional response when I sing A’Roving in the program: a song she remembered her father singing as a favourite.
You've had an illustrious career as a harpist, performing all over the world. What initially drew you to the instrument?
I loved to lean over our antique grand piano to strum the strings inside. This was more fascinating to me than playing the keys. So Mum suggested we contact a friend who had just come back to live in Adelaide, the harpist Lydia Shaxson, to see if I’d like to learn the harp. I was eight at the time, and it was love at first sight. Affinity with an instrument is a very personal expression, and so I feel I was very lucky to be able to start the journey with my own instrument so young.
What’s next for you?
I’m looking forward to playing at the Mawson’s Huts Foundation Gala Dinner on 23 August, sharing a sample from my multimedia program Alice in Antarctica.
Cascades Convict Connections
uncover your ancestral roots
Are you intrigued by the possibility of a convict ancestor? Ready to uncover the secrets of your family's past?
Interested in mastering the art of navigating convict records?
Join our esteemed panel of experts as they unveil the mysteries of genealogy research. Gain invaluable insights and insider tips to illuminate your family's journey through history and craft a comprehensive family tree.
Panel:
University of Tasmania – Family History
Hobart Penitentiary, National Trust
Female Convict Research Centre
Roses from the Heart – Dr Christina Henri
Friends of the Orphans Schools
Maureen Martin Ferris
State Library and Archives of Tasmania
Tasmanian Family History Society Inc
10am — 3pm
Saturday 24 and Sunday 25
August (Family History Month)
Cascades Female Factory
Historic Site, 16 Degraves
Street, South Hobart
Site entry is free for anyone attending this event, however a $10 pp charge will apply to those wishing to join one of our tours:
• Convict Women’s Tour
• Notorious Strumpets and Dangerous Girls
WHAT’S ON IN HOBART
MONDAY WEDNESDAY TUESDAY
Learn how hypnotherapy can help ease persistent and chronic pelvic and gut pain at this informative session, St.Lukes Wellness Hub, 6pm. Also Launceston on 15 August.
It’s Book Week! Check your local library for a bunch of fabulous ways to celebrate your favourite kids books.
Tassie favourite Pete Cornelius and his band play at The Republic Bar, hosted by The Hobart Blues Club, 7:30pm.
It’s open mic night at the Hobart Music Collective, 7-10pm, Waterman’s Hotel, Salamanca.
See Nathan Maynard and Rob Braslin’s play, The Box, at the Theatre Royal 7:30pm.
THURSDAY FRIDAY
Find out which animals and plants glow with a Glow Tour along the Hobart Rivulet led by Dr Lisa Gershwin. See humantix for deets.
View two exhibitions, MEDICINEMEN and Glenorchy and Beyond, at the Moonah Arts Centre today. Then check out a Supercars street party to kick off the Tasmania SuperSprint, at Princess Wharf, 3-6pm.
Brazilian guitar maestro Yamandu Costa plucks the strings tonight at 7:30pm at the Farrall Centre at The Friends’ School in North Hobart. Also tonight, head to a quiz night at The Longley Hotel.
Learn to Contra at the Monday Night Folk Dance group at St James Hall in New Town tonight from 7:15pm.
See high-octane rockers The Buoys, fresh from the UK, at the Republic Bar tonight from 9pm. 19 26 2 28 29 5 3 30 21 23 22 14 15 13 12 8 7 6 9 16 i
The TSO keeps surprising us… tonight they play gaming music, featuring Zelda, Super Mario, Tetris and more! 7:30pm. Federation Concert Hall.
Sooshi Mango, one of Australia’s biggest-selling comedy acts, brings their new Home Made tour to Hobart. The Hedberg, 7pm.
Today’s Van Diemen’s Band lunchtime concert features Alexey Yemtsov, a Ukraine-born now local pianist, playing Chopin, Scriabin and Schubert. 1:05pm, Town Hall
For National Family History Month, the State Library hosts Dr Jennifer Jones-Travers for a talk about the new archaeological excavations at the Hope and Anchor. 1-2pm in person or via webinar.
Hobart College presents Stranger Sings, on until 24 August at Mount Nelson Theatre. Have a good laugh at The Clubhouse with Nick White’s show Teenage Dream. Hobart Brewing Co, from 6pm.
The Australian Antarctic Festival starts today: four days of events, lectures, exhibitions and more, mostly free. Head to www.mawsons-huts.org. au/antarctic-festival for more info.
Catch artist Alex White’s exhibition of block carved depictions of Tasmania’s huts at the Schoolhouse Gallery, 10am-4pm til the 25th.
The RunNation Film Festival celebrates ten years this year, see it at Salamanca Arts Centre from 7pm.
Dress for Success empowers women to achieve economic independence through clothing and styling. They’re hosting Shop for Success, a public sale event, today, registration essential.
Didirri is at Altar as part of the Don’t Talk tour, 7pm, or there’s the Big Bike Film Night at Sir Stanley Burbury Theatre, also 7pm.
Details subject to
SATURDAY SUNDAY
Beaker Street’s Great Debate features Adam Spencer, Prof Barbara Holland, First Dog on the Moon, Mibu Fischer, Matilda Boseley, and Wendy Zukerman plus Kirsten Banks, Tegan Taylor and Zoe Kean. City Hall, 8pm, tix essential.
Enjoy a morning at the Tasmanian Produce Market at Kangaroo Bay Park. The Festival of Bright Ideas returns to PW1 today, then Spiderbait take to The Odeon on their Black Betty 20th Anniversary, 7pm.
Head along to the Cascades Female Factory for a Family History Month event today and tommorrow from 10am-3pm. Hard Quiz’s Tom Gleeson does a solo show at The Odeon tonight, doors open 6pm.
Girl Gang, a women’s cycling group, meet on the last Saturday of the month for a ride and coffee. Tonight, catch Opera Australia’s La Boheme at Theatre Royal.
See the mini choo choos at the Hobart Model Train Show, Howrah Community Centre, from 10am (also on the 10th).
FURTHER AFIELD
24
August
Dress up in bright garb and light up the sky with the Devonport and Shearwater Light Night Glow Run and raise money for the Tim Blair Run For Kids Foundation at the same time. The events, ranging in length from 600m to 8km, start at The Bluff from 7pm. Head to www.raceroster.com to register.
In Ice and Fire, Clarinet and Piano Duo Andrew Seymour and Karen Smithies play Kettering Community Hall from 3pm.
See The Great White Whale and be part of the Q&A with filmmaker Michael Dillon tonight at The State Cinema, 6pm.
The man, the legend, Daryl Braithwaite, rocks The Longley International Hotel today from 2pm.
24 August
If you have a mountain of fabric to destash, or are in need of some cheap second hand fabrics, the next ReDress Hub Fabric Market is for you. It’s free to get in to shop, or $20 for a stall. 9am-2pm at the RAOB G.A.B. Hall, Birch Avenue, Newstead.
All month
See some of Olegas Truchanas’ stunning work at This Vanishing World: Photography of Olegas Truchanas, at QVMAG, Launceston, 10-4pm most days.
Various dates
Glover’s footsteps as you visit locations where he painted some of his most celebrated works. 1-3pm on various dates, check Eventbrite.
Burnie is treated to a world-class performance of La Boheme - the original bohemian love story - by Opera Australia. At Burnie Arts Centre, 7pm, tickets via www. burniearts.net.au. 31 1 25 24 10 11 17 18
30 August - 1 September
The Flinders Island Running Festival is back with a bunch of options from a 4.4km to a full 26km pub to pub run/walk along the base of Strzelecki for the full Flinders Island experience - from Lady Barron to Whitemark, plus there’s the usual parkrun on Saturday.
3 September
As the days stretch longer, it’s a great time to take a self-guided walk and garden tour at Glover Country in Patterdale. Follow famous Tasmanian artist John
Got an event coming up in Tassie?
Email us at editor@thehobartmagazine.com.au
AROUND THE ISLAND
MONDAY WEDNESDAY TUESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY
Explore the fascinating world of slime moulds at Westbury Town Hall with Cryptic Wonders during National Science Week. Until 16 August.
Pop into QVMAG for ArtStart to see artworks by school students across northern Tasmania honouring First Nations culture. On until 20 October.
Enjoy the wines at It’s Not All About Pinot at Devil’s Corner Cellar Door, a tasting event featuring the east coast’s top brands in wine, whisky, gin, and more. 12pm start.
Undertake a Maritime Malt Adventure at Penny Royal in Launceston. Travel in a small raiding party with fellow thirsty pirates with some Tasmanian single malt whisky on hand. Book via Humanitix.
Grab a drink and test your knowledge at the QVMAG Science Week pub trivia night at Du Cane Brewery. This is a free event, 6:30pm start. Bookings essential.
Nick Bennett takes the stage at Alchemy in Launceston for acoustic serenades. Share platters and cocktail specials too, 6pm until late.
For one night only, the Princess Theatre hosts Fourteen, a nostalgic story set in 1999 about a year nine student navigating life in rural Queensland.
The Laramie Project at Earl Arts Centre, Launceston is a play based on the aftermath of a real-life murder. Until 24 August.
Rock & Rhyme at Smithton Library is an engaging session for parents/carers and babies/ toddlers, featuring songs, nursery rhymes, stories, and interactive activities. 11am.
Brazilian guitar maestro Yamandu Costa plucks the strings tonight at The Tramsheds, Launceston. 7pm start.
Tonight’s the launch of the Men’s Table in Cygnet, an opportunity to connect with other men, share stories, and explore wellbeing. At the Commercial Hotel.
Get spooky and risqué with Dracula’s: Sanctuary at Launceston’s Princess Theatre until 31 August. This iconic show from Melbourne promises aerial acrobatics, killer vocals with spine-tingling burlesque.
The Hannaford & Big hART exhibition showcases portraits of diverse Australians from marginalised communities, at The Watershed in Wynyard until 29 August.
It’s a battle of the bands at River Arms in Ulverstone. The Tasmanian Rock Challenge brings together high school and college bands in a fun celebration of youth. From 5pm.
Enjoy Morning Tea at Queenstown Library while you chat with a friend or read your new favourite book, magazine or newspaper. Open to anyone, 10am-12pm.
Get ready to Harpoon. 90s alt rock band Jebediah comes to Du Cane Brewery tonight at 6pm, supported by Magic Dirt.
Burnie’s Hellyer College is set to make a splash when it presents The SpongeBob Musical. This musical is great for all ages and runs until 31 August.
Can’t get enough theatre? Consider seeing Past the Shallows at Annexe Theatre in Launceston, a story about brotherhood and secrets, playing at 11am and 6pm today.
Experience the revving engines of the NED Whisky Tasmania SuperSprint at Symmons Plains Raceway in Perth, with Supercar action across the three-day event. 20 26 2 28 27 4 5 6 30 29 21 22 23 12 14 15 7 8 9 16
Catch bluesman Ash Grunwald on his tour to coincide with the release of his new single. Expect chilled out grooves to tap your feet to at the Royal Oak Hotel in Launceston, 9pm.
SATURDAY
Head to QVMAG for the BIG Day of Science
From live virtual zoo tours or getting up close to a python, to craft stations and Planetarium screenings, this is a huge day of family fun.
SUNDAY
Get a sugar rush with some of Tassie’s best chocolates at Chocolate Winterfest in Latrobe. There are a whopping 40 activities across 29 venues.
For beer devotees, the Tasmanian State Homebrew Competition is on at Du Cane Brewery in Launnie. Interested in assisting or attending? Show up on the day or register at tshbc.hobartbrewers.com.
The Harcourts Devonport & Shearwater Light Night Glow Run is a luminous night run with events from 600m to 8km. Adorn yourself in glow sticks and all things bright to light the night.
Harvest
Launceston Community Farmers’ Market is every Saturday morning, with fresh local produce, artisan goods, and local delights.
The monthly market World Street Eats returns to Launceston’s Civic Square today. Try culinary delights from around the world. 11am-3pm. 8 7 31 24 25 11 10 17 18 AUGUST
The Big Bike Film Night rides into Easy Tiger Cinema at Saint Helens, a collection of the best cycling short films from around the world. Screening at 7pm.
Don Market in Devonport is held every Sunday and offers a diverse mix of indoor and outdoor stalls featuring fresh produce, crafts, and more. At Don Hall.
Cancer Council Tasmania’s Women’s 5K Walk/Run is held in Launceston today, setting out from City Park at 10am. Open to all ages, pink clothing is encouraged!
WANT TO EXPLORE MORE?
Deloraine
Spend a day in Deloraine, a 40-minute drive from Launceston. This charming art town beside the Meander River has old Georgian and Victorian streets adorned with antiques and crafts. It’s worth exploring the Great Western Tiers Sculpture Trail and the kooparoona niara cultural trail.
Lake St Clair
This mystical place within Tasmania’s Cradle MountainLake St Clair National Park is known for its serene beauty and the end point of the iconic Overland Track. It boasts Australia’s deepest freshwater lake, surrounded by ancient rainforests and towering peaks. Tackle numerous walking trails throughout.
Fossicking
Tassie is a great place for fossicking that means to search for minerals to a depth of two metres by hand, or with hand-held instruments. A licence is not required if activities are conducted within any of the eleven permitted areas, which you can read more about at www.mrt.tas.gov.au.
Got an event coming up in Tassie?
Email us at editor@thehobartmagazine.com.au
Background photo: Emilie Ristevski
Corey Peterson is the Chief Sustainability Officer at the University of Tasmania, leading the University’s efforts in planning and creating its organisational sustainability agenda.
The University of Tasmania has been on a sustainability journey for many years. And we’ve needed to make this journey as a community, with a shared focus on holistic sustainability: environmental, socio-cultural, and economic.
Universities can play a significant role in contributing to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). To measure our contribution, we participate in the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings.
Over 2,150 universities from 125 countries took part this year, with our university climbing to #2 overall. Our impact has grown from 76th in 2021, to 25th in 2022, and 5th last year. Globally, we’re ranked #1 in climate action for the third year in a row, as well as ranking at #2 for life on land, #5 for life below water, and #9 for good health and wellbeing.
This tells us we are making a difference in Tasmania and for the world, and we are committed to supporting broader change and ongoing improvement. We choose to take part in these rankings because they take a holistic approach to measuring our contribution across four areas: research, teaching, stewardship, and community partnerships.
Publications in highly ranked academic journals are critical to our mission. Academic publications from more than 550 University staff and PhD candidates
contributed to the overall ranking, and over 140 people contributed to the #1 climate action ranking.
To achieve these rankings, the international significance of our research, our teaching, our stewardship for people and places, and our community partnerships are interlinked.
I, too, have been on a journey that brought me to lutruwita/Tasmania in 1996 from my work in Antarctica.
My connection to place was immediate and deep. Using my lifelong passion for sustainability - supported by master’s degrees in Environmental Science and Public Administration - in 2010 I became the University’s first ongoing sustainability officer.
The position was championed by a group of forward-looking staff, to deploy recycling bins and improve sustainable transport options.
Today, underpinning our commitment to holistic sustainability, I am the first Chief Sustainability Officer at a university in Australasia.
We established the international award-winning Sustainability Integration Program for Students (SIPS) to ensure students and staff mentors are part of the journey, with our campus becoming a living laboratory.
The University achieved carbon neutral certification in 2016, one of only three
Australian universities to accomplish this. We report annually on all relevant emissions, including from energy use, air travel, and waste management.
In 2021, we fully divested from fossil fuels, acknowledged the climate emergency, and joined Race to Zero. Our Emissions Reduction Strategic Plan 20222030 targets a minimum 50% reduction in gross emissions by 2030.
We had the first electric cars in a Tasmanian fleet in 2014 and all our passenger fleet vehicles will be fully electric in 2024. We have been installing electric bike charging stations and bike hubs since 2012.
Recognising the biodiversity crisis, we are founding members of Nature Positive Universities, which includes a critical focus on regeneration of our natural world in order to be truly sustainable.
We offer a Diploma of Sustainable Living which can be studied without tuition fees. We also offer a Sustainability Major in most bachelor’s degrees. Our students make it abundantly clear through our biennial sustainability surveys that they expect their education institution to align with their values.
This all gives me hope that the future will predominantly be driven by people who have a deep understanding of the collective challenges we face, through knowledge and skills acquired at universities such as the University of Tasmania.
Live and learn sustainably, somewhere truly unique
When you live somewhere this unique, you know how precious it is.
That’s why the University of Tasmania is the world’s #1 university for taking climate action. And when you immerse yourself in our island-sized living laboratory, you’re studying alongside scientific, artistic and industry leaders, investigating the amazing world at your doorstep.
Because there’s more to learning than just a classroom.
Scan to learn more about our sustainability journey
▼ Students traversing Mt Field
National Park.
TRISHA’S FIGHT AGAINST MODERN SLAVERY, SPEAKING UP FOR THE TRUE FASHION VICTIMS
The unseen victims of the “fast fashion” industry are the people exploited in the manufacture of cheap clothing. Trisha Striker wants to make sure none of us look the other way.
The overwhelming majority of people would agree that modern slavery and the exploitation of people is wrong. This problem, however, is so deeply entrenched in so many things we consume, that it can feel impossible to do anything about it.
University of Tasmania staff member and student Trisha Striker has made it her mission in life to change that, and she believes universities are perfectly placed to initiate change.
Her work to raise awareness of the slavery and exploitation of people - particularly in the clothing and fashion industry - earned her a Highly Commended nomination in the 2023 Green Gown Awards (Sustainability Champion - Student category), which recognises sustainability efforts in the tertiary education sector.
Last year, Trisha completed her Undergraduate Certificate in Sustainable Living at the University of Tasmania, which helped her expand her knowledge and hone her communication skills around sustainability issues.
But her determination to shine a spotlight on the issue of modern slavery stretches back much further. In fact, she can recall one specific moment overseas, as a sevenyear-old, that lit the spark.
“I was confronted with the reality of a young person around my age, experiencing
what we would now call ‘the worst forms of child labour’,” Trisha said.
“The stark disparity between us hit me. We were a similar age, but our lives were so different. Did they go to school? Where did they sleep at night? What did they do for fun? Seeing another human being’s suffering in such close proximity impacted me deeply. My whole journey since then has been about people.”
Relocating to Australia as a teenager, Trisha finished high school in Queensland and eventually found herself in Townsville.
In 2015 she began a Bachelor of Business (Economics) at James Cook University, hoping it would give her a broader understanding of the systemic context behind inequality and injustice in the world.
But the framework of economics wasn’t enough to answer the deeper questions she was asking.
“I would constantly bother the lecturers and tutors with a myriad of questions, and they encouraged me to ask the dean of the college for permission to study extra electives, from outside of economics, to investigate my ideas.”
Those additional electives took Trisha
to Germany and Slovenia, where she explored the ways different countries in Europe worked to reconcile their turbulent histories with their current complex economic and social situations, to create more inclusive, fair and sustainable societies.
In 2016, Trisha presented a TEDx talk titled The High Cost of Cheap Clothing discussing modern slavery in the clothing and fashion industry. It has been viewed almost 60,000 times on YouTube.
In recent years, there has been increasing pressure on the “fast fashion” industry to take responsibility for the huge amounts of synthetic fabric waste created by discarded clothing. But the exploitation of those who manufacture the clothing is frequently an inconvenient truth, one consumers try not to think about: child labour, sweatshops, and exploited workers who are underpaid, or not paid at all.
The TEDx talk led Trisha to create a project urging James Cook University to investigate the possible risk of slavery and exploitation of people in the university’s supply chains, and to explicitly include “justice and people” in the university’s sustainability commitment.
“This project made a case for ethical procurement at James Cook University and initiated the creation of a Social Procurement Framework, which they still use today.”
By the time Trisha completed her Business/Economics degree in 2019, she realised that slavery and exploitation of people was not just the outcome of one factor, but rather something that occurred at the intersection of many other issues: profit-oriented business, consumer culture, marketing, injustice, environment, poverty, gender inequality, food insecurity, climate change, development and sustainability.
In 2020, living in Hobart, a friend suggested studying Sustainable Living at the University of Tasmania, and Trisha loved the course.
“It provided an opportunity to understand the interconnectedness of slavery and other issues through a more holistic sustainability lens,” she said.
“People tend to focus on the environmental side of sustainability, forgetting that the social aspects are just as important. I also met some amazing people who taught me some much-needed lessons for advocacy.
“Communicating Sustainability was my first subject, a topic that I’d not considered. It led me to think about how the language used to discuss sustainability can itself become a barrier to understanding.
“People are the solution to this issue, and we need to invite people to take part in whatever ways they can.”
Trisha also completed an internship and fellowship with the University’s Sustainability Integration Program for Students (SIPS). The internship gave her the opportunity to work with various people across the University to create a plan for sustainable procurement and, this time, pitch it to the University of Tasmania.
“I investigated the risk of slavery and exploitation in the University’s clothing and apparel supply chains and evaluated the effectiveness of Fairtrade certification to reduce this risk and contribute to other sustainability goals.”
She presented her findings to the University’s Marketing, Procurement and Sustainability teams, students, academics, and the student association (TUSA). As a result, the University asked its apparel supplier to start stocking Fairtrade certified products, a change that made sustainable products available to all its clients, reaching well beyond just the University’s own operations.
“Universities combined represent millions of dollars in procurement. This aggregated buying power can influence industry supply chains and make things different for everyone.”
Trisha continues to work tirelessly in a range of roles and projects to try and create a more sustainable and equitable future, including co-founding the Freedom Polos Project (FPP), which assists Tasmanian schools in procuring Fairtrade certified, organic cotton school uniforms.
Recently, Trisha has begun a Bachelor of
WHAT IS MODERN SLAVERY?
While not defined in law, the United Nations uses “modern slavery” as an umbrella term covering practices such as forced labour, debt bondage, forced marriage, and human trafficking.
Essentially, it refers to situations of exploitation that a person cannot refuse or leave because of threats, violence, coercion, deception, and/or abuse of power.
This can include the practice of underpaid and unpaid labour and child labour in the clothing industry.
Philosophy at the University of Tasmania to further understand the people-side of the issue and to contribute to real, lasting, transformational change.
“Throughout this whole journey, I had this niggling feeling that I needed to come back to basics - respect, compassion, justice, fairness and equality,” she said.
“No matter how much I talked about frameworks, policy and procedures, real change has to come from the heart. Seeing the humanity in that young person transformed me, I did not want to participate in a system that benefitted me by harming others.
“For me, human connection and partnership is crucial to ending injustice and imagining a fairer and more just world, so the problem doesn’t feel far away or abstract.
“As a friend of mine said a few years ago, ‘proximity is the enemy of prejudice’.”
EXPERIENCING SUSTAINABILITY IN STUDENT LIFE
I moved from Brisbane to Launceston in 2023 to study an accelerated Bachelor of Business, majoring in marketing. I came here for the course, and everything else since has been a bonus. I absolutely love the slower-paced lifestyle, colder weather and sheer beauty of Tasmania.
I am incredibly grateful for the fantastic opportunities that the University has to offer and, as a Student Ambassador, I am exposed to their sustainability achievements and initiatives on a regular basis. But how do they affect the student experience?
Sustainability woven into studies
Within my studies, sustainability is woven into the coursework to show that it is possible in all areas of business, particularly through a focus on corporate social responsibility, and how it extends to environmental stewardship, carbon accounting and the like. By incorporating sustainability into the curriculum, we gain a forward-thinking perspective that is increasingly valued in the job market and life beyond studying.
Living on campus
Living on campus, in student accommodation, we see that the University’s efforts are not just in pursuit of accolades but are foundational to the way that we operate. We live alongside laykila/the North Esk River and have a fantastic Community Garden on our doorstep, which we contribute compost to and collect food from. Walking through the garden is my favourite part of the day, although it is a rather
Words: Annabel Lauder
brief three-minute commute to class.
Of course, there are more obvious contributions such as compostable cafe packaging, efficient lighting and a vast array of colourful bins across campus. Admittedly, the motion-sensor lights add an element of grandeur as they gradually turn on when walking into an empty room, not dissimilar to an on-stage spotlight.
As a student, I’m proud to be part of an institution that leads by example, demonstrating that sustainability is not just a goal but a way of life. By embedding sustainability into every aspect of campus life, the University of Tasmania ensures we’re well-prepared to make a positive impact in our professional and personal lives.
SUSTAINABILITY IN CAMPUS LIFE
It can look like:
• Living on campus, reducing travel emissions
• Sustainability principles built into a wide range of disciplines
• A Sustainability Major that can be studied as part of almost any degree
• Community Garden on campus at Inveresk
• All takeaway cups, cutlery and packaging provided by on-campus cafes are compostable.
Audrey Carter,
Bachelor of Fine Arts student, University of Tasmania
In my artwork created for this edition of The Hobart Magazine, I aim to portray somebody who embodies these elements of Hobart, while representing a community of young people who are creating a sustainable future. The work has subtle references to native nothofagus gunnii leaves, representing seasonal change. Tree ring patterns in the shirt and subtly in the background reflect passing time and a connection with nature.
I find sustainability to be integral to my practice as an artist. I have been living waste-free for over nine years, which has shaped the way I interact with the world and its environment. My work seeks to explore the importance of reciprocity with local communities and the environment.
I have felt very close to the environment since I was a small child. I have strong memories of going on bushwalks on kunanyi, asking my botanist father the scientific name of each plant. As an emerging artist, I find the colour pallete of Tasmania and its environment to be vivid and colourful, with the deep blues of the Derwent River interwoven with the oranges and reds of vibrant fungi, native plants and historical buildings in Hobart.
THE ROAD TO SUSTAINABILITY IS PAVED WITH GOOD INTENTIONS –WE JUST NEED TO ACT ON THEM
Sustainable living, exercising regularly, and saving money, all share a common barrier: while we might know these things are good for us, motivating ourselves to actually DO something can be a lot harder.
Even in the face of global climate change - and knowing what we need to do about it - it can still be hard to change our ways. But Professor Swee-Hoon Chuah, Director of the Tasmanian Behavioural Lab, said there were some very simple tricks we can all use to change our own behaviour.
“You can find ways to self-regulate your behaviour with little self-nudges, which make it easier to do the right thing and harder to do the wrong thing,” she said. “And another way is to turn it into a game, make it fun, make it appealing to do.”
The Tasmanian Behavioural Lab is the University of Tasmania’s dedicated institute for behavioural science education and research. Behavioural science blends elements of behavioural economics, psychology, and cognitive science to understand how people behave and make decisions. That knowledge can then be used to understand, predict and nudge people’s behaviour, to create better outcomes for themselves and for society. And it always starts at an individual level.
“Behaviour is most effectively changed from the bottom up, incrementally,” Swee-Hoon said. “Big change comes from many individuals all making small changes.”
According to Swee-Hoon, there’s good evidence that our society has reached a critical mass of people who understand the risks of climate change and who want to make changes and make a difference. “What it comes down to is that gap
between the intent and the action. Maybe it feels inconvenient, maybe you’re just a bit lazy. How do we make it easier for people to just do what they know is the right thing to do?” she said.
If you know what you should do but can’t make yourself do it, the solution might be to create a commitment mechanism to make the right behaviour easier - or even default - option. Think about who you want to be, and what “current you” can do now to make that easier for “future you.”
“A lot of people already do this with gym memberships: if they pay up front, they’re less likely to skip a visit, since they’ve already paid for it,” Swee-Hoon said. “If I want to eat less chocolate, current me can simply not buy it at the supermarket, knowing future me will be too lazy to leave the house and buy it when I’m craving it later. In terms of sustainability, it can take the form of turning the thermostat down a couple of degrees, knowing that leaving it there is easier than getting up to change it again.”
Another option is called ‘gamification’. There’s nothing quite like a Tidy Towns competition to suddenly make people more motivated to clean up litter. “Socially, people are quite competitive. We thrive on us-and-them tribalism, and comparing ourselves to other people.
“We harness that every time an office holds a 10,000 Step Challenge - suddenly everyone is motivated to exercise. So, find a way to make a game of it, motivate yourself as well as the people around you.”
And it works, on a small scale as well as large scale.
In 2015, an environmental group used gamification to tackle cigarette butt litter in a London street, using a glass-fronted
bin, divided into two sections, with the question: Who is the best soccer player in the world? Ronaldo or Messi?
People cast their vote by putting their cigarette butt into the corresponding side of the bin and the glass front allowed everyone to see who was winning. Not only were people putting their own butts in the bin, but they were picking up others off the ground in order to skew the vote in their favour.
“All those little things add up,” SweeHoon said. “If every one of us does one thing, it’s enough to make a big difference. Start with the little things, inexpensive things, turn the lights off when you leave the room, and when that’s multiplied across lots of people, that’s when you get change.”
SMALL CHANGES ADD UP:
• Switch off the lights
• Take the stairs
• Shut your windows when the AC is on
• Take shorter showers
• Power down your laptop
• Unplug electronics you’re not using
• Turn the thermostat down a couple of degrees
• Do full loads of laundry
• Switch to low-energy lights.
SOWING THE SEEDS FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE
Coriander might be the world’s most controversial herb but - whether you love it, or think it tastes like soap - it has become a clear symbol of the success of the Inveresk Community Garden.
“We have four of our smaller beds growing coriander and it looks like lawn,” Jeff McClintock said, laughing. “It’s kept down and lush because of all the people just walking by and pruning some off. We don’t have to worry about it bolting and going to seed because people are constantly grazing on it. It’s wonderful to see.”
Jeff is the Community Garden Coordinator at the University of Tasmania’s Inveresk campus and has been in the role since the garden was first established in 2022 as part of the University’s Inveresk precinct. A passionate organic gardener and sustainability advocate, Jeff sees a lot to be optimistic about in the way the Community Garden has been embraced by locals, on campus and off.
With about 650m2 of raised garden beds, the Inveresk Community Garden sits in a sprawling, open urban area on the Inveresk campus, which is open to the public. The garden is tended to by volunteers - with public gardening sessions every Thursday - and everything it produces is free to be taken by anyone who wants to harvest it.
“We have signs up asking people to harvest respectfully, to acknowledge that other people have grown this, so take only what you need for yourself, only take what’s in plentiful supply,” Jeff said. “And people are being really mindful of that, which is great. Students who live on campus often come down to pick some veggies to cook with their meals.”
The University also has community
gardens at its Newnham, Cradle Coast, and Sandy Bay campuses, as well as in some student accommodation.
Originally from Queensland, Jeff studied Landscape Architecture at Queensland University of Technology and has lived in Tasmania for over 25 years. Jeff is a firm believer in establishing grassroots projects that build their own resilience through steady growth and community ownership.
And the Community Garden ticks a lot of boxes. Not only does it teach self-sufficiency through growing food at home and turning food scraps into compost, there are carbon footprint reductions and mental health benefits as well.
“Growing food close to where it’s consumed reduces the carbon emissions associated with transport,” Jeff said. “Rather than food that’s grown hundreds of miles away, put into plastic bags, transported to the supermarket in trucks, transported home in your car, and so on.”
By allowing people to freely come and take what they need from the garden, it also helps address food insecurity, a growing issue amid a cost-of-living crisis.
As well as the public gardening sessions, groups of students from the University and the nearby Big Picture School regularly attend their own sessions. And mini compost caddies are distributed among University offices and students in accommodation, to contribute to the compost feeding the garden.
The Community Garden was a great example of how education and empowerment could lead to widespread improvements to sustainable living in a variety of ways. “Gardening is one of those things where you don’t see instant results for your work, it’s a future benefit. If, during
their time at uni, students learn those skills, they might keep doing it, eventually have a family of their own, and pass those skills on to their own kids,” Jeff said. “Then, we have generational change that will benefit their children and the whole community, and maybe be passed on again. And I’m encouraged by that.”
You can visit every Thursday from 10am-noon for a community gardening session to learn about composting and seasonal produce.
JEFF’S TOP TIPS FOR GARDENING AT HOME
Find a good location: It doesn’t have to be a large area, but it does need to be sunny. Raised beds can be a good option, or pots if space is limited.
Ensure soil is healthy: Add compost and manure to create a free-draining soil, rich in organic matter (or buy quality ‘veggie mix’ if importing soil).
Start with easy-to-grow veggies: Leafy greens (lettuce, silverbeet, mizuna, etc) are best as the leaf is the part that’s eaten.
Grow high-value plants: Herbs such as coriander, basil and parsley can be used daily in cooking but are expensive to buy.
Save seed: Letting one or two veggie plants flower and go to seed ensures an ongoing supply of free seeds.
Open Day 2024
Join us for Open Day 2024 at our Hobart and Launceston campuses in September and get a taste of uni life.
You can chat to staff and students about the courses you’re interested in, and enjoy a variety of hands-on activities, food, and live entertainment.
Our free shuttle buses will take you around the various campus locations and, when you register, you’ll go in the draw to win a MacBook Air.
Register for your chance to win a MacBook Air! utas.edu.au/open-day
▼ Students together at Hytten Hall, Hobart.
When Alexandra “Al” Viney first stepped into a rowing boat, she instantly fell in love. She was in year seven at Launceston Grammar School when she decided to try rowing as a summer sport alongside her best friend. Though Al had always been drawn to tennis and basketball, it was her friend’s enthusiasm that led her to give rowing a chance.
That seemingly small decision turned out to be a life-changing one. Little did she know, it would set her on a path to becoming a professional rower.
“There is something really special about stepping foot inside a boat house. The history that they hold,” Al says. She recalls exploring the Grammar boat shed, taking in the names of past athletes painted and carved into the walls and the boats that had travelled countless kilometres and crossed hundreds of finish lines. She dreamed of one day becoming a part of that storied tradition. “It’s a really cool sport if you stop to take it all in.”
Al grew up in Deloraine, where she was an energetic child, racing through the train park and hitting tennis balls with her friends and sister at the local club. She cherishes her roots and loves visiting when she can. “The mountains and farmland just feel like home.” She later moved to Launceston for her teenage years and, after graduation, lived in various cities including London and Geelong. For the past five years, Melbourne has been her home, though she is currently based in Canberra at the Australian Institute of Sport, preparing for the Paralympic Games at the Rowing Australia National Training Centre.
Al has had two rowing careers: there’s before the accident, and after. In December 2010, at just 18, she survived a high-speed car crash. The accident left
her with long-term impairments to her left elbow, forearm, and hand, abruptly halting her athletic dreams. “So many opportunities were taken away from me because society couldn’t imagine sport to look different than ‘that’s how it’s always been done’,” she reflects. “I couldn’t express myself the way I wanted and all of the doors that had been open to an able bodied, competitive young female athlete were slammed shut - no matter how much I banged my fists on them.” Her identity was intertwined with her sport, and so when that changed, her sense of self fractured. She’d lost a piece of herself.
But fate had another twist up its sleeve. Eight years later, while working as a strength and conditioning coach in Geelong, a brief conversation with a bystander on the sidelines of a football game turned her world around. When asked why she wasn’t a para-athlete, it was the spark she needed to reframe her story. It clicked that her disability didn’t have to be a barrier. By November 2018, she was back in a rowing boat, equipped
with adaptive gear that allowed her to participate fully. Just three months later, she made the Australian National Rowing Team in the PR3 Mixed Coxed Four, which went on to place fourth at the Rowing World Championships in Austria. “I was finally able to express my power, strength and competitiveness,” she says. “Instead of being made to fit into a box, I was now standing on top of the box taking hold of my true potential.” Today, Al is a five-time national champion, a world championship silver medalist, and, soon, a two-time Paralympian.
Representation is close to her heart. As a proud gay, disabled athlete, Al champions the message that sportspeople reach their full potential when they fully embrace who they are. She’s an ambassador for Proud 2 Play, advocating for LGBTQI+ inclusion in sports and recreation. Al is honoured to be an inspiration for girls, women, and LGBTQI+ individuals in the sporting world. “Visibility matters. Opportunities are for everyone. Inclusion changes lives,” Al says.
Al’s dedication has earned her a place in the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris, scheduled from 28 August to 8 September. Unlike the Tokyo Games, which were held under pandemic restrictions, she is excited to have her family cheer her on in person this time. “I’m excited to experience the people and the atmosphere of the Paralympic Games,” she says. “Tokyo was so different for everyone and I just know that the experience in Paris will be something seriously special.” Al feels she’s a different athlete now compared to Tokyo. “I’ve learnt more about the sport and myself and am so proud of the training and dedication that I’ve put in to grow and evolve. It’s time to put all of that to the test.”
Her rigorous training regimen includes three daily sessions, six days a week, comprising on-water rowing, ergometer work, cycling, strength training, and occasional running. She also engages with a support team of physical therapists, dietitians, doctors, and psychologists. One unexpected aspect of her preparation is heat training; used to Canberra’s freezing winter temperatures, she is acclimating to the European summer by using an infrared sauna. Al values open communication with her support team and appreciates the space her performance psychologist, Josh, and coach, James, provide for her to be vulnerable.
Rowing is more than a sport for Al; it’s a passion. She loves being on the water and, when not rowing, enjoys golf, photography, and coffee. After the Games, she’s excited to return to Tasmania and savour Hobart’s café scene. “Very spoilt for choice,” she says eagerly. She’s also looking forward to seeing the Tasmanian AFL/AFLW team emerge and hopes to snag a Devils jersey.
Al’s journey has been full of ups and downs, but she has persevered and chased her dreams. Her advice to aspiring athletes, whether Paralympic, Olympic, or future Tasmanian Devils, is this: “Believe in yourself. Keep that flame burning. Protect it and nurture it. You are your own biggest supporter. Be creative, seek out people who help to brighten your light
and who, instead of trying to make you fit in a box, help you climb on top of it and reach for the stars. Opportunities are for everyone, and sport is a powerful place for you to express yourself, showcase your strengths, and connect with an incredible community. It can look and feel however you need it to feel. Just because it’s always been done a certain way doesn’t mean it can be done differently. I’m here to tell you that YOU CAN DO IT.”
YOUR BREAST SELF
Words: Annia Baron
Boobs, tits, honkers, jugs, coconutsterms for these life-giving and uniquely wondrous parts of our bodies are plenty. But for everyone who’s had breasts or would like to, there’s something strangely amiss when it comes to how we treat them, and importantly, their essential role in our psychological wellbeing.
Ask any woman whether she’s been hung up about her breasts and guaranteed, there’ll be a yes. Too small, too big, too round, too long, not perky enough, asymmetrical. Women weren’t born with these beliefs; an influx of problematic messaging created them. We’ve perpetuated a confusing dialogue that either hypersexualises breasts or shames a woman for hers. For example, it’s okay to use hooters to sell beer and cars but breastfeeding in public is still considered scandalous (e.g., only 43% of adults in the US believe that women should have the right to breastfeed in public1). The internalised oppression of breasts is widespread, and it begins during puberty. Unlike changes of the male sex organs which are hidden from view, developing breasts become a public event, open to the opinion and commentary of everyone. A young woman learns very quickly that her breasts are more akin to property rather than the alchemising cauldrons of important life energy they should be embraced as.
It’s no wonder a woman’s value is wrapped up in the size and shape of her breasts - often associated with negative body image, anxiety or depression. Although breast augmentation has been promoted as an easy fix to improve confidence, more women are waking up to the realisation that putting unhealthy bags of plastic inside them isn’t the answer to long term mind-body happiness. In 2022 there was a 7% rise in breast explant surgery2 and one of the largest studies on this topic found that after women decided to remove their breast implants, they
also reported significant improvement in breast satisfaction and quality of life.3
Research is also busting out with evidence against other myths associated with breasts and wellbeing. For decades we’ve been told that brassieres are imperative to prevent sagging and for larger breasted women, the bra is key to eradicating back pain. But preliminary findings from longitudinal studies in France4 suggest that over time, wearing bras can actually increase sagging and weaken the muscles that hold breast tissue up. Of course, women wear bras for psychological, aesthetic or practical reasons, and every woman has the right to feel well supported in her choice. Whatever the decision, it’s important to understand that breast tissue is a living, breathing cellular matrix that plays an important role in our lymphatic system, which is responsible for removing unwanted fluids from our blood vessels and maintaining good immune health. As breasts are unique in that they don’t contain muscle, the lymph flow tends to become restricted, resulting in fluid build-up and retention. Confining breasts can stifle the much-needed movement that helps circulate toxins or hormones out of the breast tissue.
It takes courage to opt out of mainstream beliefs about breasts, and even more to decide that you’re going to be a fierce caretaker of yours. Whatever your feelings are towards your breasts (or those of someone you care about), it’s never too late to reclaim the magnificence that resides within them. Take matters into your own hands and consider practising regular breast lymphatic drainage massage. This can enliven breast tissue and assist in the overall sense of wholebody vitality. If you’re not sure how to do it, there are helpful videos online that will guide you.
By getting to know your breasts, and giving them time and tender attention, you create opportunities for new
pathways in the brain - ones that propel you to show up in the world with a deeper sense of self-care. And as emotions are simply energy-in-motion, it makes sense that by moving stagnant energies in the body, we improve our emotional regulation skills, and grow confident to self-actualise.
Whether you wear bras or not and whether you’ve had breast surgery of any kind, with all the changes your breasts have adapted to - puberty, breastfeeding, menopause and everything in between -they deserve a big round of loving applause. Let’s honour breasts to their full capacity. If you’re game, I encourage you to straighten your posture in this moment, gaze down at yours, and whisper something affectionate to them. As the powerful, sentient beings they are, I assure you, they’ll appreciate it.
Annia Baron is a Mindset Coach and Clinical Psychologist. Want to learn more about tools to create a life you desire and deserve? Get in touch on Instagram @anniabaron or visit www. remindyourself.com.
Full references are available at www. thehobartmagazine.com.au.
Did you know that nipples come in all shapes and sizes? It’s normal for nipples to be protruding, flat, inverted and fluffy. In addition, about 6% of the population have three (or more) nipples with extra breast tissue surrounding them. These are called supernumerary nipples, and they can also become more sensitive during menstruation or lactation but aren’t only among females. It was found that one man had seven nipples - two regular nipples and five supernumerary nipples.5
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TASSIE ARCHITECT SHARES AFFORDABLE LIVING DESIGN
Jiri Lev is a Czech-Australian architect and urbanist living in Launceston. Earlier this year he unveiled an affordable and easy-to-make house design titled Tasmanian Homestead.
Why did you set out to design Tasmanian Homestead? For several years now I’ve been working towards a pilot affordable housing project, where prospective tenants would build their own future homes themselves, perhaps with an architect’s or builder’s guidance, from locally sourced, natural and health promoting materials, utilising traditional design principles and building techniques. I’m trying to show people that Tasmania’s beautiful heritage towns and traditional vernacular architecture, which everybody loves, are still very relevant and need not be a thing of the past.
Take us through some specifics of the design. Predictably, this particular prototype’s main theme is economy, in the natural, evolutionary meaning of the word: obtaining best outcomes with minimum possible outlay of energy and resources. Like in nature, this fine-tuned balance usually also results in aesthetically pleasing results. For practical example, a hi-tech shopping complex full
of daring architectural features may be immediately impressive, but never creates a harmonious atmosphere of an old village square - we all know where almost all of us would prefer to live or visit for holidays.
The design seeks to satisfy the spatial requirements of a family life while avoiding surplus and waste. The floor area is such that a family of six or more can live there comfortably, fostering shared experience of family life while affording each individual a necessary degree of privacy.
Rather than blindly following the bigger-better floor area mantra, resulting in dark, uneasy rooms, we create lofty spaces with some air of luxury by increased ceiling heights and vertical wall apertures. This also improves light and ventilation.
A proof of concept was built by a novice builder, unassisted aside from a plumber and electrician, on a budget of $150,000, in six months. How is this possible? Primarily by a pragmatic, no-nonsense design approach, combining traditional building techniques with some contemporary improvements. For
instance, rather than trusses, aimed at commercial efficiency, our roofs are constructed from individual rafters which a single person can lift. Indeed there is no element of the structure which a single able-bodied person can not carry. Also, most of our materials are made in Tasmania and simple to work with, such as timber and concrete. We don’t use complicated systems requiring proprietary tools and niche expertise.
How does it utilise an environmentally-friendly methodology? Of course any good design will consider passive heating, cooling, ventilation and lighting. We primarily work with natural and inherently health-promoting materials. We always prefer locally sourced products. Toxic treatments are avoided. The use of plastics and synthetic paints is reduced to the absolute minimum as required by the building code. Microplastics pollution has become a serious, far reaching global problem and so we avoid plastics as much as realistically possible, working towards complete avoidance. Plumbing and electrical cables will likely always require some plastic, so these should be installed in a way which makes them easy to remove before buildings are decommissioned. We keep the whole life cycle of the building in mind. At the end of its life, if allowed, a home should be able to decompose into uncontaminated soil, or at least become a beautiful ruin.
Keen to build? The design can be requested from www.lev.au.
School of Performing Arts (SPA) Scholarships
Entry
Jeffery Molesworth Boyes Choral Scholarships
Entry for new and current students in Years 5–12 in 2025 (up to 75% tuition fee discount)
THE TASSIE BOOK CLUB
The Woman Booker Prize Club is a local Hobart book club. Here they share their thoughts on books by Tasmanian authors, set in Tasmania, or about Tassie topics.
This month’s theme seems to be ‘Ladies who have been through A Lot’ - but our choices couldn’t be more different. One, fictional, is chilling and thrilling. The other, autobiographical, is more stark and serene. Both show the inner worlds of strong women and how they respond to difficult circumstances.
Vee/Valerie. Kate has the upper handshe was with Max first, before he drove off with Vee one day. Kate infiltrates the unsuspecting Vee’s life, determined to make Vee feel the consequences of this betrayal. The novel put me on edge from the first pages from Kate’s point of view, as she mentally narrates her actions to Max. The whole story is thick with foreboding as Valerie comes to rely on Kate’s friendship (and babysitting availability). Take a small town, add a spooky chapel, overlay folk motifs and a mysterious death in the past, sprinkle some vicious psychologies, and top with a child alone in the woods: a perfect recipe for a tense, noirish read right to the very end (I had to stay up late to finish it). Where this novel really excels, though, is the way it balances the propulsive plot with a sensitive understanding of toxic relationships and the effects they can have on women and their friendships.
Newly released this month, Catherine Wheel is a proper thriller. But, it gives greater credit to the main characters’ complex motivations and morality than most other thrillers I’ve read (appropriate, as Liz - based in Hobart - is a journalist, academic and former psychotherapist). And there’s a shifting sense of who the true villain of the piece may be.
The chapters alternate in perspective, from steely Kate/Catherine to vulnerable
Melanie Ross
Maggie MacKellar has been through a lot in her life - the fact that Graft is her third memoir reflects this as well her substantial skill as a memoirist. Subtitled as ‘motherhood, family and a year on the land’, Graft is a gentle reflection of a drought year on MacKellar’s merino farm located on the East Coast of Tasmania. In between long walks with her dogs and solitary swims in the ice cold ocean, we hear of the reality of a working farm pushed nearly to the brink.
MacKellar’s eldest child has left home, and her younger is at boarding school in the city. Her current husband is a stereotypical farmer: hardworking and of few words. In fits and starts, MacKellar gives us a look into the earlier parts of her life: the difficulty of her upbringing and the relief she found on her relatives’ farm; the tragedy of losing her first husband in her 20s and, soon after, her mother. While this narrative is never self-pitying, MacKellar is honest about both the aching tragedy and the beauty that life can hold.
the breeding season on the farm really resonated with me. MacKellar describes in detail how nature can be brutal, with ewes dying in the field having their eyes pecked out by crows, and lambs needing to be hand-reared in the house after being abandoned by their mothers. And yet, before each section, we are given a poetic, illustrated account of a particular bird species that can be found on MacKellar’s farm.
This is a beautiful book (nominated for this year’s Stella Prize) from a talented writer. It’s a gorgeous meditation of life on the land, of love and loss, and the ways that both beauty and pain can reach us at the most unexpected times.
Book Chatter: Like the sound of Liz Evans’ new book? See her in conversation with Danielle Wood at Fullers Bookshop on 8 August. What else is on this month? Well, it’s Children’s Book Week 17-23 August: ‘Reading is Magic’! Did you know the Hobart Library runs a monthly Young Readers’ Club for children 8+ (first Friday of the month)? In southern Tasmania, there are also regular Storytime sessions for children aged 2-5 at Bridgewater, Cygnet, Glenorchy, Hobart, Huonville, Kingston, New Norfolk, Rosny and Sorell Libraries.
Keen to chat books with us? Find us on Instagram @thewomanbookerprizeclub or email thewbpc@gmail.com. BOOKS
The sections of the book that recount
Catherine Wheel by Liz Evans (Ultimo Press, August 2024) Review by Megan Tighe
Graft by Maggie MacKellar (Penguin, April 2023) Review by
HOBART COLLEGE BRINGS THE UPSIDE-DOWN WORLD OF STRANGER SINGS TO TASMANI A
Hobart College is excited for fans of the cult Netflix series with its production of Stranger Sings the Parody Musical. Set to make its Tasmanian premiere at the Mount Nelson Theatre on August 15, this musical extravaganza promises to transport audiences back to 1983 Hawkins, Indiana, in a uniquely comedic way.
The production brings to life the iconic characters and memorable moments of the series, all set against the backdrop of the 1980s. From Demogorgons to Eggo waffles, the musical is set to charm fans with its catchy tunes and witty lyrics that affectionately poke fun at the show’s quirks and plotlines.
The talented all student cast, crew, and band have been hard at work rehearsing to ensure that each performance is packed with nostalgic nods, irreverent humor, and infectious energy.
Audiences can expect an evening filled with adventure, thrills, and a healthy dose of 80s nostalgia, complete with heavy synth, convoluted love triangles, and dancing monsters, bought to life by the talented production team consisting of Jeff Michel (Director), Simon Cawthorn (Musical Director), Jessie Barclay (Production Manager), Lachlan Court (Producer), Katie Raucher (Vocal Director), Angela Barnard and Kirsty Baker (Choreographers), Helen Sharma (Costume Designer), and Karl Sanger (Technical Director).
Tickets can be purchased now through Trybooking: https://www.trybooking.com/events/landing/1227108.
CULTURE AND WALKING: ART FARM BIRCHS BAY
Words and pictures:
The Art Farm Birchs Bay (AFBB) is located at Channel Highway, Woodbridge, a pleasant 45-minute drive south from Hobart. It’s a place of gently wooded hills where some 30 significant sculpture and art pieces are carefully placed along a two kilometre Sculpture Trail that blends with the natural environment for maximum effect. These sculptures and art pieces range from a steel soaring eagle made from old farm implements to an inter active Airplay installation, and various ceramic creatures, ranging from dodos to birds and lizards.
HISTORY OF THE TASSIE SCALLOP PIE
The humble scallop pie. It doesn’t get more Tasmanian than this local delicacy. Fresh Tassie scallops swimming in a hot, aromatic curry sauce encased in flaky pastry. Yum.
Tasmania can’t lay claim to many food inventions. Outside of Aboriginal bush tucker, Tassie cuisine is a hodgepodge of overseas influences. We’ve got savoury toast, fairy bread (that’s right, fairy bread is Tasmanian, and perhaps most notably, the scallop pie.
This writer’s story with the pie began over a decade ago when my grandparents came to visit from the mainland. Aside from meeting up with family, my Grandad, a seafood fanatic, had a mission. He wanted to eat a scallop pie. They’re hard to find in NSW, so this was his best opportunity. On a family day trip to the Southern Beaches, we visited the bakery at Dodges Ferry, and there it was. Grandad took a bite. “That’s the best scallop pie I’ve ever had,” he said. I was a kid then, and the thought of scallops grossed me out, but this declaration gave me the bravery I needed to try one for the first time. Sure enough, I loved it, and I’ve been a devoted fan ever since. The pie feels like home to me.
But where did this marvellous invention come from? Whose tombstone should I place flowers at and weep? Most curiously, what factors led to Tasmania being the place of origin? Now that it’s scallop season, there’s no better time to dig into its history. Like scallops hidden in their shells, the scallop pie’s exact origin is shrouded in mystery, but we can speculate and make educated guesses.
We must begin with the meat pie, a beloved Australian staple, and an essential menu item for bakeries and takeaway shops. Early versions of the meat pie date back to Ancient Egypt and Ancient
Greece, but the pie as we know it today really took off in 14th century Europe, and continued to be redefined and made even tastier with the invention of buttery pastry. The meat pie arrived in Australia with British colonists in the 18th century, and has since evolved into its own thing, the classic Australian Meat Pie.
Meanwhile in Tasmania, the first scallop season occurred in the 1890s, and by the 1900s, scallops were a cherished local delicacy, prompting size regulations and seasonal closures to sustain their harvest. Apparently back in the day, fishing ports were overflowing with the shellfish. Now to address an essential ingredient: Keen’s Curry.
Another Tasmanian invention, Joseph Keen created the famous flavouring in either the 1850s or 1860s (there are conflicting reports on this) in Kingston. Keen’s Curry differs from most curry powders in that it contains no cumin, resulting in a distinct mild flavour. It is this flavour that brings the scallop pie to life.
So we have all the elements: British meat pies, Tasmanian scallops, and Keen’s Curry. When did they first come together? I’m afraid we don’t know for sure. The best guess is somewhere in the early-tomid 1900s. Rumours are that waterfront pubs added curry cream sauce to scallop pies to make patrons thirstier, but this cannot be proven. What we do know is that in the 1920s a dish of curried scallops (without the pastry) was popular in
Tasmania, then in the 30s the first recipes for early variations of scallop pies were being submitted to local newspapers.
At some point someone put all the right ingredients together, and the scallop pie we can find in local bakeries today was born. It is undoubtedly one of Tasmania’s favourite dishes, and of the few we can absolutely claim as our own. No wonder my Grandad wants to try one every time he visits. So stop what you’re doing and go eat one right now!
WHERE TO FIND A SCALLOP PIE
The first stop to make in finding a good scallop pie is Harbour Lights at the Hobart Waterfront. They’ve been a staple on the menu for at least half a century, so it’s more than a meal, it’s history. Over in Battery Point, visit Jackman & McRoss for their beautifully flaky pies, or Banjos for a high street version. While Leslie Vale’s Bush Bakery doesn’t conjure images of the sea due to its namesake, their scallop pies are beloved. Believe it or not, the inland town of Ross has two, that’s right, two bakeries that serve up great scallop pies: Bakery 31 and Ross Village Bakery. This list is far from extensive, so what are your favourite places for scallop pies? Asking for a friend...
TRY 3: THAI TAKEAWAY
ALL THAI
Shop 12 / 236-244 Sandy Bay Road, Sandy Bay
Having a good Thai takeaway in your armory is critical. All Thai in Sandy Bay, across from Coles, hits the mark with simple but good quality Thai dishes. A marker of a good outlet is how they make their pad thai (thin rice noodles with egg, vegetables and sweet soy sauce) - the All Thai version is spot on with generous meat and vegetables and the perfect amount of sauce. Other highlights here include the fish cakes ($11.90), stir fry chicken with cashew nuts ($20.90) and massaman curry ($22.90). Feeling fancy? Add coconut rice to your order and level up your rice game.
BANGKOK CITY
2/40 Elizabeth St, Hobart
Looking for a quick Thai lunch special? Bangkok City serves up a wide selection of freshly made Thai street food dishes. For a very reasonable $12.25 you first choose steamed rice, fried rice or noodles, then your dishes. The pad kra pao or pork mince basil stir fry is super, as is the crispy chicken cashew nut and massaman curry. It’s buffet style (they serve up your dishes for you) and the spread is colourful, fresh and full of vegetables. You can eat in or takeaway.
OCHA THAI
349A Main Rd, Glenorchy
Tucked at the entrance of Glenorchy’s shopping district on Main Road, Ocha Thai is quietly confident: an unassuming storefront that masks high quality Thai cuisine and friendly service. The tamarind sauce in their pad thai (from $16.99) has a unique taste, slightly more sour than similar restaurants, while the green curry (from $17.59) is rich with a healthy helping of bamboo shoots. Their basil fried rice (from $16.99) is a standoutcrispy, flavourful, and perfectly spiced, it’s hard not to scoff it down. A nice cold accompaniment to the hot meals is their freshly made Thai lemon iced tea ($6), aromatic and refreshing.
WINE: JOHN DUVAL 2022 CONCILIO GRENACHE
I’d never heard the word Concilio before when I tried a glass of John Duval’s Concilio Grenache ($34). I’m the kind of wine drinker who loves a bit of backstory with my glass because let’s be honest, the tale behind a wine can be just as captivating as its flavour profile.
So I pulled out my trusty friend Google, because really, what is a Concilio? I wondered if it might be an Italian brand of concealer. Far from it, though the word is indeed Italian. A Concilio is a council meeting, particularly a religious one. And I’ve got to say, this wine definitely calls for a council of sorts - one to sing its praises!
This bottle, which is 86% Grenache and 14% Shiraz, hails from the Barossa Valley in South Australia. The grapes are grown on the Duval family’s five-generation farm, and the result is a wine packed with black fruit, blackcurrant, and blackberry flavours. It’s on the bold side and unapologetically delicious. The Grenache’s pure fruit character really shines through. A fun fact about John - he was the head winemaker at Penfolds for many years and was responsible for making their super premium Grange label each vintage.
If you have any interesting wine recommendations for us please let us know at editor@thehobartmagazine.com.au. For research purposes, of course.
Set the vibe:
Wine: Concilio Grenache from John Duval
Music: Sympathy is a knife by Charli XCX
Food: Chinese-style slow-braised beef
When: Dusk
RECIPE: CHOCOLATE AND BANANA MUFFINS
Want to use up those old bananas but are sick of banana bread? This muffin recipe offers delicious respite if you want a new way of using excess bananas. Add in a handful of choc chips or walnuts to add more texture too. Makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients:
3 medium overripe bananas
½ cup vegetable oil
2 large eggs
½ cup soft light brown sugar
1 ½ cups plain flour
3 tablespoons cocoa powder (sifted)
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
Method:
Set oven to 180 degrees celsius. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin cases or cupcake liners. Peel and mash the bananas with a fork, then add the oil. Combine then add the eggs, then sugar. Mix to combine. In another bowl, mix together the flour, cocoa and bicarb, then sift this into the banana mixture, beating gently to combine. Add in any extras such as choc chips or nuts at this point. Spoon it into the muffin cases. Bake for 15-20 minutes
until the tops are rounded and spring back when touched. Allow to cool slightly in the tin, then move to a wire rack. Muffins can be frozen for up to two months.
OATLLYWOOD: THE MAKING OF ANCESTRY ROAD
The upcoming film, Ancestry Road, was shot across 17 days in Oatlands and the surrounding Midlands. We spoke with Melbourne-based director and writer Glenn Triggs about making the film in Tassie.
Why did you use Tasmania as a stand-in for Scotland? I had travelled from Melbourne to Tassie a few times over the years and always loved the small towns in the Midlands. It was only when I was writing Ancestry Road that it suddenly clicked that it may be a viable location for the film to double as Scotland. We had considered travelling to Scotland to film the movie, but the more we looked into what was possible in Tasmania we
realised it would be far easier to make the movie there and get the same results.
How did you decide on Oatlands and Bowhill Grange? Oatlands was the first town we had stopped in to let our kids out for a stretch on the drive to Hobart. I was very taken by its European features. When I was looking for locations for the ‘farmhouse’ in the movie, I came across Bowhill Grange on AirBnB and fell in love with it. Not realising it was so close to Oatlands. So once I realised this, it sold the idea to me even stronger. Speaking with the owners Peter and Ruth all of a sudden made everything seem possible!
What was it like filming there? We had a beautiful production at Bowhill Grange and Oatlands. 80% of our filming was at Bowhill and the rest were at an assortment of locations including Campbell Town. It was just so nice to be in an area with no traffic, no pollution - just large open landscapes. Bowhill had mostly everything we needed, including accommodation. All the interior room shots were filmed there - which really adds to the realistic nature of how the film looks.
ACTOR GILLIAN UNICOMB’S EARLY MORNING MISFORTUNE
Gillian Unicomb’s first day on the set of Ancestry Road was an eventful one. A professional actor, she knows not to turn up late, because time is of the essence when it comes to making movies. “With all the money involved in setting up, the last thing you want to do is arrive with everyone standing around waiting for you,” she says.
Gillian arrived at her accommodation in Oatlands the night before, so she could be ready for her first scene at 7am. The next morning she was wearing her costume and ready to leave by 5:45am. “How glad I was I’d decided to stick by that maxim,” she says, for it was the middle of winter, and as she walked into the pitch black
darkness of the early morning, she discovered her car encrusted in frost. She immediately entered problem-solving mode. “I need a bucket of water, not hot,” she thought. She restrained herself from racing back to the house. “Why risk falling on my bum on the ice and having to turn up to do my scenes as a limping wet-trousered idiot?” she says. She had time, after all. So in this freezing-cold morning she carefully trod back to the house to find a bucket and water.
Gillian returned to the car, chucked the water at the windscreen and scrubbed away. No sooner had she got rid of the ice, though, another layer formed. This happened again and again. Panic set in as time was slipping from her fingers. Was she going to be late on her first day?!
There had to be a new plan. She turned the car on, blasted the heater, scraped a small circle of ice off the windscreen, and started driving. She drove peering through that spyhole into the blackness, stopping frequently to wipe the windscreen and keep the patch open. “I could see into the fog that had blanketed the town. Even with a clear windscreen, visibility would have been close to not good at all,” she says. “No one else was silly enough to be out on the road at this hour.”
“Gradually, the ice began to melt. I saw the cluster of lights - telling me I was near - with absolute relief, and, arriving, not late, went up to greet everyone, smiling happily, as if I had not been a panicking mess such a little while before.”
“That’s acting.”
EXHIBITIONS AT ROSNY FARM
2 - 25 August SCHOOLHOUSE GALLERY Huts: Alex White & Wild Life Crossing, Folklore and other tales: Edith Perrenot
8 August - 1 September ROSNY BARN
To know a river: Hannah Foley
10am–4pm Wednesday - Sunday
Schoolhouse Gallery & Barn
Rosny Farm, Rosny Hill Road, Rosny Park Ph: 6217 9607
www.clarenceartsandevents.net
Rosny Farm Arts Centre 2025 Exhibition Program EOI Closes 23 August
Clarence Jazz Festival 2025 Performer EOI Closes 29 August
Apply for a Cultural & Creative Grant Closes 16 September
www.ccc.tas.gov.au
Call for entries: Poochibald™ Art Prize 2024 Entries close 15 September
Visit the website for more info and application forms
Edith Perrenot, Ex-Voto Fera Vitae or the Visitation, 2023
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ZODIAC CHECK-IN: YOUR MONTHLY ASTRO UPDATE
Words: Sara Hewitt
Dive into the month ahead with practical star insights - your guide to navigating the cosmos this month.
Aries (21 Mar - 19 Apr): The New Moon on the 4th lights up your creative zone making this the perfect time to start a fun new project or dive into a hobby that fulfills you. The Full Moon on the 20th highlights your friendshipsconsider who is lifting you up, and who is dragging you down. Venus moves into your relationship zone on 29th helping you find balance and harmony with the ones you love.
Taurus (20 Apr - 20 May): Venus in your romance zone from the 5th makes finding new love a lot easier for singles and brings happiness to all Taureans. After the 29th, the good vibes shift to your daily routines and health. The New Moon on the 4th highlights your home and family, while the Full Moon on the 20th puts your career in the spotlight, so you might get some well-deserved recognition and praise.
Gemini (21 May - 20 Jun): The New Moon on the 4th is all about new ideas and connecting with the people around you and making it a wonderful time to learn something new or reconnect with your community. Venus in your domestic zone makes home life cozy and harmonious for most of the month although retrograde Mercury might cause some mix-ups. Wait until after the 29th for important decisions.
Cancer (21 Jun - 22 Jul): The New Moon on the 4th brings a fresh start for your finances and values - fantastic for setting new money goals or discovering new ways to create security for yourself. The Full Moon on the 20th pushes you to balance your personal needs with those of other people. Mercury retrograde
might bring past issues to the surface, but by the 29th, there will be clarity and resolution.
Leo (23 Jul - 22 Aug): The New Moon in your sign on the 4th is your own personal fresh start - so set new goals for the coming twelve months and embrace your unique self. The Full Moon on the 20th brings harmony and balance to your relationships, making it a great time to refresh your partnerships. Venus moving into your finance zone on the 5th is great for attracting the things you need.
Virgo (23 Aug - 22 Sep): The New Moon on the 4th highlights your spiritual sidemaking it a perfect time for going within and releasing any old patterns from the past that hold you back. Venus entering your sign on the 5th boosts your mood and creates a wonderful month for makeovers and pampering. Mercury retrograde from the 5th might bring hidden issues to light, creating new insight.
Libra (23 Sep - 22 Oct): The New Moon on the 4th energises all of your dreams and hopes for the future. It’s a great time to set new goals and connect with friends who inspire you. The Full Moon on the 20th highlights your creativity and romance sector, urging you to find love, have fun and express yourself in positive ways. After the 5th, Venus encourages your spiritual growth and inner peace.
Scorpio (23 Oct - 21 Nov): The New Moon on the 4th highlights your career and public image - a wonderful time to set new professional goals or perhaps even change your career path entirely. The Full Moon on the 20th brings energy and focus to your home and family life as well as all the people you love. Venus enhances your social life and friendships throughout the month, attracting good people to you.
Sagittarius (22 Nov - 21 Dec): The Full Moon on the 20th highlights your communication skills and also brings a boost of interest in your local neighbourhood - it may be that you can find what you need very close to home. Venus boosts your career for most of the month before moving on the 29th to enhance your
social life. Mercury retrograde might bring travel delays, but after the 29th, your plans will fall into place.
Capricorn (22 Dec - 19 Jan): The New Moon and Full Moon are both impacting your finances this month - the New Moon bringing fresh beginnings to old money hang ups, and the Full Moon urging you to balance earning and spending. All in all, a great time for financial planning and getting on top of your security needs. Mercury retrograde might bring some challenges, but after the 29th, you’ll gain clarity and insight.
Aquarius (20 Jan - 18 Feb): The New Moon on the 4th highlights your relationships and partnerships zone, bringing the opportunity for fresh starts and leaving the past behind you. The Full Moon in your sign on the 20th encourages you to embrace and accept your true self. Mercury retrograde might cause some misunderstandings with loved ones, but after the 29th, communication will definitely improve.
Pisces (19 Feb - 20 Mar): The New Moon on the 4th shines a light on your health and daily routines. It’s a great time to start new wellness habits or improve your work environment. The Full Moon on the 20th highlights your subconscious and spiritual growth, making this the most psychic and intuitive time of year for Pisces. Venus enhances your romantic and personal relationships from the 5th onwards.
Sara is a Hobart based astrologer with over 30 years professional experience. If you would like a private psychic or astrology reading with Sara either face to face or by Zoom or email, please go to www.stargold.com. au for more information and to book.
Photo:
A DAY TRIP TO EAGLEHAWK NECK
As this year’s very chilly winter begins its farewell tour, I find myself yearning for the spring sun. There are few better ways to welcome the return of warmer days than with a trip to the coast, and my destination of choice is Eaglehawk Neck.
Just over an hour’s drive southeast from Hobart, Eaglehawk Neck offers a rewarding day trip from the city. While many travellers head directly to Port Arthur (for good reason, a fantastic day trip in itself), there are many gems along the way that are worth slowing down for.
This writer’s most recent visit was with my family. Starting from Hobart, the first leg takes about 30 minutes to Sorell - a perfect pitstop for a coffee break (try Velvet or Uncle Alby’s) - followed by another scenic 40-minute drive to reach Eaglehawk Neck. This part of the journey takes travellers through coastal farmland, giving way to native trees and occasional beautiful glimpses of the sea.
Approaching the Tasman Peninsula from the Arthur Highway, we made a brief detour to the Tasman Bay National Park Lookout. We got an unbeatable view of the land ahead. The weather couldn’t have been more perfect: bright sunlight showed off the tree-covered peninsula and the crystal-clear waters of Pirates Bay. Cubed Espresso, at the lookout, never disappoints if you need further caffeination at this point.
Continuing just a few minutes further, we reached the entrance to the Tessellated Pavement walk. This natural wonder is a flat rock surface divided into rectangular tiles, resembling a giant puzzle or dragon scales. A fascinating sight. Be sure to read the information signs that explain exactly how this natural phenomena occurs. The Pavement is also a great place for rockpooling. There’s so much life on the seashore, from peculiar-looking plants to tiny crustaceans.
We then made our way through The Neck. A narrow isthmus less than 100m wide at one point, it connects the Tasman Peninsula to the Forestier Peninsula. Historically, The Neck was a crucial security spot for the Port Arthur penal colony. A sculpture there marks the location of the Dog Line barricade, where a line of dogs were chained across The Neck to prevent convicts from escaping. While I didn’t visit on this trip, it’s worth stepping inside the Officers Quarters Museum, which tells the colonial history of Eaglehawk Neck, and is reputed to be the oldest wooden military building remaining in Australia.
From there, we travelled on to the Blowhole. The drive took us through Doo Town, a quirky shack community. In 1935, a Hobart architect named his shack here Doo I. The idea soon caught on with other shacks being named Doo-Me and Doo-U, and now most of the town’s shacks have Doo names. It was heaps of fun to slow down and catch all the creative ways locals have used the word.
At the Blowhole there is a food truck called Doo-lishus, which closes during the winter but offers great local seafood and ice-cream. There is a walking trail around the Blowhole which offers a view from multiple angles. The rougher the seas, the higher the spray. On the day we went things were rather calm so we didn’t get a magnificent display. A short walk took us to a lookout with stunning views of Pirates Bay, which offers good looks at the impressive sea cliffs.
There are more awe-inspiring geological
displays nearby, namely the Devil’s Kitchen - a deep trench without an arch - and Tasman Arch - a natural bridge in the sea cliff. They are sort of opposites of each other, and both worth seeing.
Further down from the Blowhole is the Pirate Bay Jetty. Everytime I visit, I make sure to take a walk along the jetty and see what the fishers are catching - I’ve fished off this jetty a few times and the catch was always dinner-worthy. The jetty is painted with squid ink, indicating the abundance of the waters below.
We hadn’t had food yet, so we decided to have a late lunch at the Port Arthur Lavender Farm just an extra 15 minutes away. They have a comfortable restaurant where I tried a scallop pie (check out our story about scallop pies in this edition) and a lavender milkshake - both delicious. There is a fun variety of lavender-flavoured yumminess on the menu, from lavender hot chocolate to lavender pancakes. After the meal, we browsed the splendid gift shop, then walked around the farm to admire the striking purples of the lavender, the bees offering a diegetic soundtrack with their constant and happy buzzing. A perfect way to cap off the afternoon before the drive back home.
WHAT’S MORE TASMANIAN THAN AN EDGY POTATO?
Words: Ollie Benson
Oca (Oxalis tuberosa), also known as the New Zealand yam, is a root vegetable native to the Andean region of South America. It’s still widely cultivated in countries like Peru, Bolivia, and Ecuador and in recent years, oca has gained popularity in other parts of the world, including Australia, New Zealand and the United States, due to its nutritional value and versatility in the kitchen.
Oca is a hardy plant that can grow in poor soils and cold climates, with one of the unique aspects of oca cultivation being its response to photoperiod, the period of time in a day that a plant is exposed to light. The tubers begin to form when the days shorten and are ready for harvest around June and July, making it a great crop to grow in Tasmania.
One farm that has embraced the cultivation of oca, as well as the Tassie climate, is Rise and Shine Farm. Run by Coral and Nick Warren, Rise and Shine is a diverse, multi-enterprise farm based in Copping. The Warrens practice organic and regenerative principles, using diversity to support and grow interrelated enterprises and improve the health of the land. As well as a flourishing market garden they also run an alpaca stud, keep bees for honey and run chickens on pasture for eggs.
Having spent a dozen or so years moving around the mainland with Government postings, Coral and Nick returned to Tasmania in 2018, commencing farming a year later. Prominent in their local community, they can be found each month at the Bream Creek Farmers Market, with a range of produce from their market garden as well as eggs and
alpaca yarn. And oca has proven to be a fantastic product for them during the winter months.
As well as good fun to grow, Coral believes their versatility in the kitchen is one of their most appealing qualities. They are easy to cook, with a sweet, mellow flavour, and can be used as an alternative to potatoes. Perfect in soups and stews, great pan fried or baked, Coral loves to roast them in a tray with onions and fennel. They can also be eaten raw, with their crispy texture and tangy, lemony flavour being perfect for winter salads.
Coral is also quick to point out their beauty. The knobbly tubers can vary in colour, including shades of yellow, orange, red, pink, and even purple, and this diverse range of colours indicate the presence of various phytonutrients, which contribute to its health benefits. They are highly nutritious, rich in carbohydrates, dietary fibre, and vitamin C, and provide a good source of potassium, iron, and antioxidants.
So, oca – a hardy, knobbly, versatile, and colourful tuber, that thrives in challenging conditions, and forms as the days shorten.
HONEY AND LEMON BAKED OCA
Ingredients
300g oca
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon – zest and juice
1tbsp honey
Thyme
Chili flakes
Method
Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Whisk extra virgin olive oil and lemon juice in a bowl. Clean oca and add to the oil and lemon mix, turn to coat. Place oca on a baking tray. Drizzle oca with honey. Scatter from a height with lemon zest and thyme. Season to taste with chilli, salt and pepper. Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes.
BROOKE STREET PIER Aug 30, Sep 27, Oct 18, 25 LONG BEACH SANDY BAY Returning on Friday Nov 1, 2024
Authorised by Vica Bayley & Helen Burnet, Parliament House Hobart, TAS, 7000. Photo: Karen Brown.
FROM THE LOO TO THE LOUVRE
Karin Koch is the creator of the Pooseum in Richmond, a science museum dedicated entirely to the intriguing world of animal droppings. She got the idea from reading about a small caterpillar that can launch its poo up to 1.5 metres away.
How do people react when they discover that you own a poo museum? Utter disbelief. They think I’m joking. The good thing is I can quickly back up my claim by presenting a range of cool poo facts.
How has the Pooseum been embraced over the years? At the beginning, it wasn’t easy. People came in for a quick laugh, expecting jokes and toilet humour instead of a science museum. Some came in thinking it was a shop selling wool products, reading “possum” instead of “Pooseum”! It took a lot of hard work, and still does, to open people’s eyes to a niche part of the scientific world that they probably have never thought about before. Nowadays, it’s much easier. Most visitors come because somebody recommended the Pooseum to them, or they have been following the museum’s Facebook page, where I share interesting facts at least once a week.
What are the unique challenges to owning a poo museum? While the museum has been enthusiastically embraced by the general public, so far it has been impossible to find support from the government or the business world.
There is no public or private funding available for a museum like mine that would, for example, pay for the acquisition of more expensive educational exhibits. I have so many ideas and the knowledge and passion to turn them into reality, but having to finance everything from selling entry tickets is limiting.
What is one of the weirdest animal poo facts you know? In a naked rat-mole colony, the queen gives birth to all the babies. She then feeds her hormone-laced poo to sterile female workers, whothanks to the ingested oestradiol - develop motherly feelings and will happily look after the queen’s young.
Which Tasmanian animal has the most interesting poo? No doubt, it’s the wombat with its cube-shaped poo. The intestine of an adult wombat can reach a length of up to 10 metres, with the distinct poo shape forming in the last section. The elasticity around the circumference of the intestine varies due to alternating thick and thin muscle bands. This, combined with other factors such as slow digestion and a high water reabsorption rate in the colon, all contribute to creating these unique poo shapes.
This year the Pooseum is organising a poo painting competition. Tell us a bit about it. The Poo-tastic Tasmanian Paint Off, I am quite confident, is the world’s first-ever poo painting competition. This artistic challenge invites all Tasmanian artists, both professional and amateur, to explore an often overlooked material: animal poo. Poo is frequently dismissed as something too gross to talk about, but
it actually has a wide variety of applications. It’s commonly used as a fertiliser by gardeners and farmers. With the help of anaerobic digesters, it’s suitable for producing biomethane and electricity. The dung of herbivores, with its high content of undigested plant fibre, can be utilised for making bricks, paper, crockery, furniture, and even clothing. In some countries, cow and buffalo dung is still used for cooking, heating, as a building material, and during cultural ceremonies. The Pooseum exhibits several alcoholic beverages infused with animal dung. In medicine, a faecal transplant can help restore a person’s or animal’s healthy gut microbiome.
Over the past six years, the Pooseum has actively integrated poo into art, commissioning Australian and international artists to create outstanding works from animal waste. I’m now very excited to invite all Tasmanian artists to contribute their own visions. Participants are encouraged to source poo from diverse origins, be it domestic pets, farm animals, wildlife parks, zoos, or the outdoors. This offers a versatile palette for artistic expression.
How can people enter? For details about the competition and how to enter, please go to www.pooseum.com.au/ competition. Just a reminder though for any aspiring participants: there are many diseases that can be transmitted by animal faeces. I highly recommend always handling faeces with gloves and wearing a mask while painting. *Note: artwork to be painted with real animal faeces (no human faeces permitted).
THE FIRST TASMANIAN TO SET FOOT ON ANTARCTICA
The end of the 19th century heralded the beginning of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. This was an era marked by intensive scientific and geographical exploration in the Antarctic region. Hobart became one of the few cities that served as a hub for Antarctic explorers, due to its geographical proximity to the frozen continent, and its deepwater estuary which enabled explorers to use its harbour.
Picture the Hobart waterfront all those years ago. Towering ships moored in the harbour, and adventurers filling the streets, eagerly awaiting the journey of a lifetime. Today, Hobart’s profound ties
with Antarctica are ingrained in the city’s history and culture. From hosting the annual Australian Antarctic Festival, (this year from 22-25 August), to fostering scientific research through institutions like IMAS and CSIRO, Hobart never ceased being a pivotal base for Antarctic discovery.
Throughout the city, there are memorials that remind us of this storied legacy. Among these stands the bronze statue titled Self portrait, Louis and Joe at Constitution Dock. Perhaps familiar to many who have passed by, or even posed for photos with it, the statue commemorates Tasmanian Antarctic explorer Louis Bernacchi and his loyal Siberian husky, Joe. Bernacchi was the first Tasmanian to set foot on continental Antarctica and the first Australian to work and winter in Antarctica.
Louis Bernacchi, born in 1876 to Italian parents in Belgium, migrated with his family to Tasmania at the age of seven. They settled on Maria Island, where his father, Angelo Bernacchi, established a vineyard. It was here, amidst the island’s serene remoteness, that Louis’s curiosity and passion for nature grew.
Bernacchi was educated at Hutchins
in Hobart, then at 19 he went to the Melbourne Observatory to learn about meteorology and terrestrial magnetism (think Earth’s magnetic field). It was during this time that his fascination with Antarctic exploration was sparked, given its relevance to his studies.
In 1898, at the age of 22, Louis finally got to venture to the continent. His training made him suitable for the role of physicist, so he joined the privately financed Southern Cross Expedition, led by Carsten Borchgrevink, comprising 31 men and 90 sled dogs (the first dogs to be taken to Antarctica). It was the first British venture of the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration, before the more widely known Shackleton and Mawson expeditions. This truly was a voyage into the icy unknown.
This expedition was marked by many historic ‘firsts’. Only 10 men, Bernacchi among them, stayed in the continent.
They were the first to brave an entire winter on the Antarctic mainland, they pioneered the use of dogs and sledges for Antarctic travel, they erected the first buildings in Antarctica (which still stand today at Cape Adare), and they achieved a record for farthest south travelled (later surpassed on Bernacchi’s second voyage). Tragically, the expedition also witnessed Antarctica’s first burial, that of Nicolai Hanson, who succumbed to illness. His death caused great sadness amongst the men.
Bernacchi played a crucial role overseeing meteorological observations and photography. These efforts were pivotal in understanding geomagnetic data in Antarctica. His detailed account of the expedition, titled To the South Polar Regions was published in 1900 and featured his photos, which are the first comprehensive visual record of Antarctica on land. Later, his granddaughter Janet Crawford edited a version of his diaries from the expedition under the title That First Antarctic Winter.
These two texts shine a light on what everyday life was like. They reveal poor leadership, conflict amongst the crew, and a generally uncomfortable atmosphere, though Bernacchi was known to be a peacemaker and to have kept a cool head. Because the expedition was
privately financed and not an official British venture, it garnered little public attention upon its conclusion. Nonetheless their legacy lives on in Bernacchi’s words and photos, the crew’s findings, and the monuments they left behind.
In the first year of the expedition, a puppy named Joe was born and given to Bernacchi. They developed a close bond and kept each other company. After Joe had been trained, Bernacchi put him to work, and upon returning home, he brought Joe with him. He would then bring the husky on his second Antarctic expedition.
This was the Discovery Expedition, led by Robert Falcon Scott, spanning from 1901 to 1904. Unlike Bernacchi’s first Antarctic venture, this garnered widespread attention and acclaim as it was the first official British voyage of this era. It boasted a significantly larger budget, more resources, and a larger crew (including Ernest Shackleton, who would go on to become one of the most important figures in Antarctic history). It was a more epic journey by all accounts, and worth further reading.
Bernacchi was the only person onboard who had been to Antarctica before, making him an essential part of the team. He would have been sharing his tales
and knowledge as the ship made its way to colder waters. Back in the Antarctic, he continued his research among several other scientists.
The crew discovered the continent’s only snow-free valley and its longest river, significant penguin colonies, and the Polar Plateau where the South Pole is situated. They unearthed fossils, identified new marine species, amassed thousands of geological and biological specimens, and calculated the positions and heights of more than 200 mountains.
The crew entertained themselves with theatricals and lectures. Shackleton started a newspaper called the South Polar Times, which focused on the human aspect of Polar exploration. Bernacchi took over as editor in 1903.
Joe remained Bernacchi’s companion throughout the expedition. On the trip back home, however, as dog food ran short and his strength failed him, Joe had to be humanely put down. This good boy was a pioneer in many ways, being one of the dogs to pull the sled that broke the furthest south record on this second voyage.
Post-expedition, Bernacchi received several accolades. He maintained friendships with the crew, including the captain, Scott, who stood as best man at Bernacchi’s wedding in 1906. Scott invited Bernacchi to join him on his Terra Nova expedition, a return to the Antarctic, but Bernacchi declined. This decision may have saved Bernacchi’s life, as Scott and his party of five tragically died on their return trip from the South Pole. Bernacchi would remain active in scientific organisations and write several books before passing away in 1942 at the age of 65.
Now, Bernacchi is immortalised alongside Joe on the Hobart waterfront. A man and his dog, planting a flag down in history. There is a story behind every statue and this is theirs. Next time you pass by them, why not give Joe a little pat. He deserves it.
Trails @junphotographs
Small wave smashing over rock by Susan Mace
Cocky at Bonorong by Silvo Simao
Kelp growing on mussel shell at Hope Beach by Elizabeth Osborne
Tarn Shelf @camjbainbridge
Seabirds at the wharf by Susan Mace
roads @alexhoovesfilm
Marion Beach walk by Trixie Berry
Wineglass Bay by Susan Mace
Bingo the Wombat at Bonorong by Silvo Simao
Farmgate veggies by Minji Hur
▼ Amelia Whitmont, Bachelor of Marine and Antarctic Science.
